Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1897-01-06

toral vote Of New York, cast for Abra'
ham Lincoln, was sent to Washington,
Gen. Woodford was elected as the mes
senger. Some of the incidents and
conversations in which the young man
took part during that journey shed an
interesting light on the attitude of the
leaders of the political world at that
time, and last night the General was
induced to relate some of them to q
reporter.
"At the meeting of the electoral col.
lege at Albany" began Gen. Wood.
ford, latter the election of 1860, Gen.
John K. King proposed me, young
man as l was, to be the messenger of
the college to take the vote OF New
York to Washington. When l reached
Washington I called upon Gov. Sew
ard, who was then the senior Senator
from New York, and shall never forget
the cordial kindness and thoughtful
courtesy with which he received me.
/ remember attending service with him
The next day, which was Sunday, at
st. John g Episcopal Church. On our
way back from the church to his rooms,
as we were walking on F street, he
called my attention to man coming
toward us, and asked me to note him
carefully as we passed. AS they came
together each raised his hat very cere-
moniously to the other, and Senator
Seward remarked that that was Sena-
tor Jefferson Davis, of Mississippi, and
added:
"'If trouble should come out of this
election that man would be the central
figure of the South.
I'm the light Of subsequent events
Mr.. Stewards estimate of Mr.. Davis
was accurate and prophetic.
when came to deliver the vote,
Mr.. Seward introduced me to his col.
league, Preston King, who took me to
the Vice President, into whose hands
1t was my duty to deliver the package
containing the electoral vote of New
York. Mr.. Breckinridge was an erect,
soldierly looking man, with olive COM
plexion, long dark hair, and singu-
larly full and intellectual forehead.
He was courtly and dignifed In man.
ner, and the interview which followed,
although brief, is as vivid in my mem.
Ory as though it occurred yesterday.
"Senator King was short, very
fleshy man, with merry twinkle in
his eye, and an almost constant laugh
in his voice and manner. He presented
me to the Vice President as the mes
senger of the New York electoral col
lege, and l handed to Mr.. Breckenridge
the long envelope containing the GER
tilted vote of our State. Mr.. Breckin-
ridge took it without word, stepped
over to window, balanced it on his
hand as If upon scale, and stood for
several seconds holding and looking at
1t. He then said, as if speaking to
himself:
"'This is very little thing; and yet
l am afraid it weighs all that civil war
can weigh
81 stood silent, Senator King paused
for moment, and then said, rather
cheerfully: oh, no, Mr.. President; not
80 bad as that. There will be no war
"Mr. Breckenridge was silent for
moment, and then, turning toward
Senator King and myself, replied:
Senator King, you people at the
North don't understand this, and If
war came, it could not mean very
much to anybody living in New York;
but my home is in border State. l
can look across the Ohio River into the
State OF Ohio. II trouble comes, the
border States will he the scene of strug.
gle; and that little package which
makes Mr.. Lincoln President, may
mean struggle that will cost more
lives than dare to think of today
"Senator King was hushed into ST.
lence, and the Vice President, turning
to me, excused himself for having
given way to his anticipation, and,
after q few moments of courteous con-
versation, he closed the interview.
when the time for the Inauguration
came, continued the General, II went
to Washington and was fortunate in
gettinga good place directly to the
front Of the platform where Mr.. Lin.
coin delivered his inaugural and took
his oath Of Office. While the words of
that marvellous speech are as audible
In memory as though l had heard them
yesterday, little incident that occur.
red by my side has always formed q
very sweet companion piece to tho
great spectacle Of the President plead
ing for peace. There stood beside me
a tall, gaunt Virginia farmer, clothed
IN brown homespun, who evidently
came some distance to see and hear
Mr.. Lincoln. With him was his wife,
In simple farm dress, wearing an old
fashioned sunhonnet. They watched
and heard Mr.. Lincoln without saying
word to each other, and were so in.
tent as to seem oblivious of every thing
about them. When he closed, the 81.
lence was so deep In all the great throng
that you could literally hear men draw
their long breaths. Then the woman,
reaching he r hand up to the shoulder
OF her tall companion, said:
John, that man g honest, and you
must stand by the old flag
II did not catch his reply, but he
was drawing his rough hand across his
eyes. l can see that woman's face
now, and somewhere / am sure that
she is glad that the old flag has come
back to Virginia to stay. New York
Tribune. NN