Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1896-10-26

Imprisonment during the war, stating, 1T do this not on any merit in the case, but because am trying to eyade the butchering business lately.
 To two Of his close friends in Spring field who carly in 1862 asked him to make General Pope 8 major general he indicated his willingness and his in- ability at the same time, and then added by telegraph, But you must know that major generalships i'll the regular army are not as plentiful as blackberries. :" Nothing could be happier and more con- vincing than his reply to Secretary Chase, who had opposed financial scheme projected by one of the presi- dents Illinois friends who had journey ed all the way to Washington to lay it before the authorities The brilliant and illustrious head of the treasury, who was q great stickler for the constitution, based his opposition to the plan on it's nonconformity to that great instrument. At length in the midst of his argument against 1t Mir. Lincoln interrupted him good hun4oredly, saying: "Out in Hi nois, Mr. Secretary, I was held to be 3 1 every point and overcome every objec- ton you have made, but I don't feel called on to do it. This whole thing re- minds me of the Italian captain who ran his boat on a rock and knocked hole in her bottom. He at once set his men to pumping while he went to pray before a figure of the Holy Virgin in the bow of the ship The leak gained on them, and it looked at last as if the vessel would go down with all on board The captain at length, in a fit of rage at not having his prayers answered, seized the figure of the Virgin and threw it overheard. Sud denly the leak stopped, the water was pumped out and the vessel got safely into port. When docked for repairs, the figure of the Virgin was found stuck head foremost i'll the hole '' 1T don t see, Mr. President, :" said Chase, the precise application of your story. " Well, this is it, , came the reply. T don intend precisely to throw the Vir- gin Mary overheard. and by that mean the constitution, but mean to stick it in the hole if can. The rebels age vie- lating the constitution every day to de- stroy the Union, and l shall violate 1t if necessary to save the Union. "
 In conversation he was lively, orig inal and interesting His fund of anec- dotes was so exhaustless, his illustra- tions drawn from life so happy, it was a charm to be in his presence. It has been well said by critic of Shakespeare that the spirit which held the woe of Lear and the tragedy of Hamlet would have broken had it not also had the hu- nor of the Merry Wives of Windsor" and the merriment of Midsummer Nights Dream. With equal justice can this profound truth be applied to the character of MT. Lincoln. But for his love of humor and his warm ap- preciation of Artemus Ward he never could have endured the heartbrealking scenes that daily and hourly took place in the executive mansion, nor the four sad years of war through which he was compelled to pass. About him clung no austerity of denleanor, nothing that might produce chill. The most marked characteristic of his manners was his simplicity and artlessness. He never, relates one of his secretaries, spoke of himself as president, or used that title for himself except when acting ill an official capacity. He always spoke of his position and office as this place or here, or other modest phrases. Speak ing once of an early acquaintance who was an applicant for a position which he deemed him hardly qualified to fill, the president said Well, now, I never thought M had any more than aver age ability when we were young men together. Really I did not; but then, ] suppose he thought just the same about me. EIe had reason to and-here ann ,
 Mir Lincoln was always easy of ap- proach and at home to every caller. He disapproved of all attempts to keep the people from him, although the catalogue of demands and requests that rained down on him every day was almost un- endurable. Senator Wilson of Massachu- sets in letter to Mr Herndon after Lineolns death relates that one after noon he called on the president and found his office almost filled with visit ors. Many of them were women whose prayers and petitions running down the long gamut of supplieation would have worn the life out of an ordinary man. After the crowd had thinned out some what Mir. Wilson approached the presi- dent and remonsnated with him for per mitting such @ throng of people to i'm pose themselves on him. Have the ushers keep them out, , were Wilson, s words. No, '' protested Lincoln, that would never do. Of course great num- bers of them get ill here, but you forget, MT. Senator, they don't want much, and the Lord knows they get precious little, and so l believe in letting them in ?
 Mixed up with Mr. Lincoln's angu- larities and easy nature, , says another of his secretaries, twas something which, after all, bespoke the fine fiber of the man. His total disregard of con- ventionalities, though often ludicrous, was often lost sight of in one's admira-