Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-11-16

had obeyed all such consents or done
as Lincoln told him in such fashion he
could not have remained secretary of
war. Lincoln had too soft heart. He
wouldn't have permittedy any court
martial sentences TO be carried out
1t got SO at last congress had to pass
Il law taking such things out of his
hands,
l did you see Lincoln again.
Not until 1865. OgleSby wanted
me to see him about an appOrtiOnment
which showed that Illinois had sup
piled about $4,000 more men than her
share. l tried by every sort of explain
alton TO prove to the provost marshal
in Washington that we had supplied
too many. | lost my temper and told
him | didn't believe he would acknowl-
edge himself convinced even if |
! succeeded in convincing him. He then
acknowledged that he knew all the
/ time that [ was right but that he had
merely carried out LincolnS orders |
/ told him he should have treated me
/ differently; that his actions had caused
me to lose my temper and my good
| opinion of him. Well, | saw Lincoln.
| He told me that what | claimed was
! true.
But he said. you can't do any
thing about it. l took that many more
soldiers from Illinois because l could
get soldiers from there easier than
from any other state
Il had resigned my command TO car
ry out the mission, and when L saw my
mission was hopeless asked the presi-
dent to give me Il command. He said
he guessed he would send me to take
charge of things in Kentucky. [ told
| him | didn't want that unless | could
have full sway.
Well he said. you so down there,
keep your temper and 1 will let you do
as you please
Il asked him if he had any friends
there l could use, and he told me to
come to see him the next morning.
went at 9 O'Clock. | sat in the ante
room along time, while Buckingham, OF
| Connecticut. walked in and out of Lin
coins room several times. At last
buckingham left and l went in.
found Lincoln with a towel wound
round his neck getting ready to shave
Got to get shaved some time,
Palmer he said. I couldn't shave
while Buckingham was here; bnt you
are home folks, and it doesn't matter
with home folks
I'VE chatted till the barber reached
his mouth, when he couldn't talk with
out the risk of getting cut. There was
Il pause. During 1t l thought of the
great war that was going ON and of the
man near lie conducting it.
Mr.. Lin,oln L said, if / had known
there was ling to be so great a rebel
lion 1 should never have though Of 60
! ing to a oIe-horse town for a one-horse
lawyer for PRESIDENT
Lincoln stretched forth his arms
! pushed the barber aside and abruptly
wheeled round to me. | thought he was
angry because of what | had said
But he replied:
Nor I either. It's lucky for this
country no man was chosen who had a
great policy and would have stuck to
! it. If such a man had been chosen this
rebellion would never have reached Il
successful conclusion 1 have had Nc
great policy, but [ have tried to do my
! duty every day, hoping that the NOR
row would find that 1 had done right.
And that" said the senator, "waS
! the last time [ saw Lincoln alive"
+ Zone of the Instances of his lack of
any great policy outlined, save to put
down he rebellion, was his refusal in
August to promise to issue the procla,
nation Of emancipation. He was asked
to do so by the convention of governors
! or preachers, L forget which. But in
! September he announced that he
would issue it. and he did so the fol
lowing January
| Did you correspond with him dur
ing the warp
"A little. Two letters | remember
! One wac q request for permission to
raise 10 regiments in northern Missouri
[ could have done it. But he refused
and the rebels raised them. The other
! letter / wrote while the French were
in Mexico. ] applied for permission
to enlist 10000 negroes. l proposed
to take them into Mexico, colonize
them and then enroll them into the
! Mexican army and drive out the
French. Lincoln replied that he appre-
! ciated the idea, but that he did not
believe force would be necessary to
induce the French to leave. 1t is
strange" the senator I'D, ''it is
strange how the course of our lives is
changed by little things. No one knows
what would have happened had I gone
to Mexico. Perhaps" he laughed, per
haps I might have become great I
have been on the verge Of greatness for
rs years"