The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-01
THE PRESIDENTS BURDEN
A STORY OF HI WAY ABRAHAM
LINCOLN FELT RESPONSIBILITY.
He JOked and Told Stories to Keen
His Spirits Up, but Was Serious
when Occasion Required.
'Megargee." in Philadelphia Times.

"Megargee," in Philadelphia Times.
How many of you who gaily talk about
war, and who idly criticise some act of
prudential hesitation on the part of the
President Of these United States, give a
moments thought TO the grave responsi-
bilities that are weighing William Nc
Kinley? Do you think Of what his burden
IS? Let the narrator tell you an illus
trative story, told by Congressman James
Rankin Young. of this city, about Abra-
ham Lincoln and now applicable. Said he:
The prominent men of the Republican
party in Congress, during the few months
consumed in the impeachment trial of
President Johnson, made the Washington
office of the New York Tribune-of which
journal l was then the correspondent
q place of frequent resort - I might say
an exchange or headquarters-where they
would meet and discuss among themselves
and friends the current news. Blaine was
a regular visitor there, and so, too, were
ColfaX, then the speaker of the House;
Allison and Wilson, then members of the
House, but afterward senator's; Wash
burne, afterward secretary of state and
envoy to France; Garfield, Judge Kelley and
such prominent senators as Conkling, Ed
munds. Sherman, Anthony, Wilson, sumner.
Cameron, Chandler, Fenton, Ben Wade and
Morton. These men would talk in my pres
ence Of matters of the greatest moment in
the affairs of state, but my mouth as a. cor
respondent had to be as a sealed letter. 7
was in the position of knowing what was
going on on the inside, but not a word could
/ give to my newspaper. 1t was annoying in
the extreme. Possibly you will remember
the fact that, for several weeks from the
day that Mr.. Johnson emp to force
General Thomas in and Secretary Stanton
out, the latter remained in his office in the
War Departmental prisoner, as it were
not venturing further than the limits of the
building for fear Mr.. Johnson's friends
might gam the nine points of law possession
Is sald 10 give. During that period it was
customary for the Republican members of
congress and other high officers of the
government in political sympathy with him
10 can on Mr.. Stanton and help him pass
away the time.
O the sixth evening of his IMPRISONMENT
the Republican delegation in Congress from
the State Of New York. with Senators Ed
win d. Morgan and Roscoe Conkling at
their head, determined to call on Mr.. STAN
ton IN a body. As the Washington repre-
sentative of the Tribune. I was honored
with an invitation to be one of their number.
We left the rooms of General Van Wyck-
then a member of the House from New
York, and afterwards a United States sena-
tor from the State of Nebraska-in a body.
@-2 - oN o (AOOh
in the evening. There was a heavy snow
falling, and, as we approached the building,
it presented a dark and dismal look; the
only signs of life being a dim light in the
window Of Mr.. Stanton's room and the
tramp of the several soldier s~entinels guard
ing the place.
IN STATIONS OFFICE.
W. found no difficulty in obtaining admis-
sion, as the officer of the guard-a captain
Of a cavalry regiment and a political fol-
Iou-ov of the conrofo r.y- rnooop;.o5 - -
once as friends. h secretary received us
cordially, expressing great qualification at
our visit, as he considered it an indorse-
ment of the course he had taken and a high
mark of our friendship. The room was a
spaall one-so small that it was with diff
tCulty that the dozen or more persons COM
prising our delegation secured seats. The
secretary sat at his desk, in one corner
OF the apartment; the same old desk he had
used during the war of the rebellion. He
complained at first of feeling ~sick-weary
from loss of Sleep-from the want of eXer-
else III the open air, and said that the ex-
cltement OF the occasion had worn on his
mental faculties, producing constant neTv-
GUS headache. This we took as q warning
to make our stay brief; but he would not
consent to such a thing. He babe us be
seated, and engaged our close attention in
stantly by starting to give, in detail. the
inside story of his experience with President
Johnson which led to the breach between
them. He was an admirable conversation
a!ist; smooth in voice, gentle and easy in
his phrases, using no superlatlVe words, but
reaching the point without wearying the
listener. He had talked at least an hour
about his trials with Mr.. Johnson, when a
question by Senator Conkling led him off
10 the subject of the immortal Lincoln. His
"reminiscences of the great President and
the part they had enacted together in the
war lasted until long after midnight, and
were of a most interesting character.
One story in particular he told that, 1
can remember, startled US, and its details
ara still vivid I'm NV mnn0FU MT stan
ton had been relating TO US many incidents
of the funny side of Mr.. Lincoln's charac-
T rem EhSg s siIent fol pro ot4RRiy'' a ann minute It
looking in a vacant way at some manu-
script lying on the desk before him. he
turned in his chair and said: Gentlemen,
there is nothing that gives me so much
pain as the opinion that seems prevalent,
Judging from the newspapers, that Mr..
was an impossibility for him to be seri-
Gus. no matter how grave the occasion
might be. Nothing is further from the
nature warm and sunny; hence he natur-
ally looked at the bright side of events.
But no man of my acquaintance was more
serious than he when the surroundings of
the case warranted that he should be. /
will give you a point in instance:
LINCOLN'S SENSITIVENESS.
Mr.. Lincoln, during the war, was very
sensitive of the criticisms on his admins
~tration, of the newspaper press, believing it
To De. as ne asserted, the true voice OF the
people. The failures of Mcdowell, McClel-
Ian. Burnside and Pope with the army of
the Potomac and the criticisms made there
on by the newspapers almost craZed him.
Time and again he would free himself from
the executive mansion and seek my little
office; the only place in Washington, he
often said. where he could be absolutely
free from interruption. When he became
ClOSeted with me on these visits Mr.. Lincoln
would unbOsom himself and talk of his cares
and woes. Several times he insisted that he
ought TO resign, and thus give the country
an opportunity TO secure some one better
ntted to accomplish the great task expected
of the President. or, if he did not resign.
he thought he ought to impress upon Con-
gresS the propriety of giving the absolute
control of the army 10 some purely military
man. 1t was during one of these moods that
he conceived the idea of placing Hooker in
of Vestng him with such power that, in shis
opinion, he could not fail of success. He had
a great idea of HoOker's ability as a soldier,
and, in addition, he believed him to be an
honest man and a sincere patriot. He
wanted him to fight what he intended Should
be, and he felt would be, the closing battle
of the war. Accordingly. when Hooker got
under way and the news came that at
Charlottesville he would make his fight.
Mr.. Lincoln was in the greatest state of
mental excitement. From the time that
Rockers army began its march until the
smoke of battle had cleared from the fatal
field Of Chancellorsville he scarcely knew
what it was to sleep.
800