The National tribune., 1900-03-15

William Cost Johnson Mr.Lincoip laugh
.ngly replied, Davis has been posting you
up on this question. He came from Mary
land and has got Cost Johnson on the
brain. Maryland must, think. be like
New Hampshire. Il good State to move
from And then he told story OF Il wit
ness in a neighboria% County. who. on
heing asked his age, replied. Sixty. Being
satisfied that he vas much older. the Judge
repeated the question. and Oh receiving he
same answer. 4dmuniShed the witness, say
ing that the Cou-i knew him 10 Le much
older than 60 On. said the witness.
you're thinking about the II Years that
lived down or the Eastern shore OF MARY
land: that was 50 mich iD.I time and dDnf
count This story. perceived was thrown
in 10 give the conversation 4 ucw direction.
General Cameron 5 name was next
introduced siad upon the peGIliaritleS and
characteristics Of Pennsylvania statesmen
we had long conversation. ! now
renewed my suggestion about having the
slave States represented in the Cabinet.
But. said Nr. Lincoln. YOU object 10 udge
Blair because he represents nobody. lie has
no following; and because his appointment
would be obnoxious TO the | Mon men OF
Maryland. anG that, as believe. while he
can look into Maryland. he actually resides
in The District Of Columbia. Very WELL
said Mr. Lincoln. i viii now give You the
name of gentleman who not only resides
in u slave State. hut who is enphatically
representative man. What objection
have you TO Edward Bates, of Missouri?
'Nune-not q shadow or "a shade of an Oh
lection That is a selection as MIR. Web
ster might have said. 'eminently fit 10 lie
made
at was now settled that Governor Seward
was to tie Secretary of State. Governor
Chase Secretary Of the Treasury. and Dir.
Bates the Attorney-GeneraI ! was salts
Sol hot toto ,lai p. frIt-
WelleS one of the other places in the Cabi-
net, that he was strongly inclined 10 give
another place TO Mr.. Blair. and that his
mind was not quite clear in regard to Gen
eral Cameron. Only one place, therefore,
remained open. and that. il was understood.
was to lie given to Indiana: but whether il
was to be Caleb y. Smith or Colonel Lane
was undetermined. | inquired whether,
in the shape which the question was taking.
il was Just or wise to coucede so many seats
in his Cabinet to the Democratic element
in the Republican party. He replied that.
as a Whig. he thought he could afford 10 he
liberal To a section of the Republican party
without whose votes ne could not have been
elected admitted the Justice and wisdom
OF this, adding that in arranging and adj
justing questions Of place and patronage
in our State we had acted in that spirit;
but that i doubted beth the Justice and the
wisdom. in inaUgurating his Administra-
ton, of giving to a minority of the Repub-
lican party ma jOrity in his Cabinet. !
added that the National Convention indi-
Gated, Enthusiastically, the sentiment of it's
constituency by nominating for President
candidate with Wing antecedents. while
its nominee for Nice-PreSident had beeIt
for many years Democratic Representa-
tive in Congress. But said Mr.. Lincoln.
why do you assume that We are giving that
section of our party ma iOrity iii the Cabi
metz replied that if Messrs. Chase, Cam
cron, WelleS and Blair should be designated
the Cabinet would stand four 10 three.
You seem 10 forget that / cIpecf 10 be there;
and counting me as one, you see how nicely
the Cabinet would be balanced and bal
lasted Besides,' said Mr.. Lincoln. in
| talking of General Cameron. you admitted
that his political status was unexception-
| able. ! suppose we could say of General
Cameron without offense that he is not
| Democratic enough to hurt him. | remem-
| ber that people used To say, without dis
| turbing my self-respect. that ! WAS not
| lawyer enough to hurt me- ! admitted
that | had no political objection TO General
| Cameron. who, ! was quite sure, would
forget whether applicants for appointment
| had been Wing or Democrat. | then re-
newed the suggestion relating TO North
| Carolina or Tennessee, earnestly pressing
| its importance. Messrs. Davis and SWEET
united with me in these views. Mr.. Lin
| coin met us with strong counter views the
force OF which we were constrained to ad-
nit. If. said Mr.. Lincoln, contrary TO our
hopes. North Carolina and Tennessee
should secede, could their men remain in
the Cabinet? Or, if they remained. of what
use would they be TO the Government
| We, however, continued TO press our point
until Mr. Lincoln yielded so far as to say
that he would write a letter to the Hon.
John a. Gilmore, then member Of Congress
from North Carolina briefly stating his
views of the duty of the Government in
reference to important questions then pend
ing and inviting him, if those views met
his approval, TO accept a seat in the Cabinet
Now, said Mr.. Lincoln, if Mr.. Gilmore
should come III, some one else must stay
out, and that other somebody must be
either Judge Blair or Mr.. Bates Messrs
Davis. SWEET and myself exclaimed agains,
dropping Mr.. Bates; and so Mr. Lincoln
left us TO infer that if Mr. Gilmore came in
Mr. Blair would be excluded
In this way, the conversation being
alternately earnest and playful. two days
passed very pleasantly. | wish it were
possible 10 give i'll Mr.. Lincoln's amusing
but quaint manner, the many stories anec
dotes and witticisms with which he inter
larded and enliVened what with almost any
of his predecessors i'll the high Office o
President would have been a grave. dry
consultation. The great merit of Mr. Lin
coins stories. like Captain Bunsby's opin
ION, lays III the application on it They
always and exactly suited the occasion anc
!, the object and none 10 which | ever listened
were far-fetched or pointless. | will at
tempt, however, to repeat one of them.
| have an especial fondneSs for any partic
, ular luxury, II manifests itself in "A remark
) able way when properiy-made Decembe
sausages are placed before me. While n
breakfast, Judge Davis, noticing that
| after having been bountifuly served Will
sausage, Oliver Twist like, l wanted SOM
more, said, You seem fond of our Illinois
IGssaI ItAs.aTF il. Il.
atively. adding that / thought the articl
nigh, be relied on where pork was cheape