The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-01-12
MANY-SlDED LINCOLN.
Humor His safety vaive-HIs Use OFT
In Many Trying situations.

Lincoln has been very unjuitly present.
ed by many to the public as a profane
and Obscene jester. These accusations
are wholly false. Hs had Latural gilt
of humor that had been cultivated by the
natural conditions In which he grew up
In the sparseIy settled West, where judges
and lawyers travelled the circuit and sat
in tbs barroom of the village Inn during
their evenings. VIII ere humor was ever In
demand. He told IN any stories, and al
ways most aptly illustrating some purpose
he had In view. IL was this love Of
humor that occasionally mastered him,
| even when almost In the depth of despair,
| and that saved him when tSe silver oorl
| was often strained TO Its utmost tension
by bis ceaseieJs and exaoting RESPONSE
Utilities. ,--.
have many tiues seen him when
sorely depressed by the disasters to our
army and the clouds which the Angel
Of sorrow had so widely scattered over
the homes Of tine land, and wondered
| whe ther he must not suddenly break IN
der the fearful strain that was upon him /;
| but often when he drank the cup Of sor-
row to the dregs his face would Instantly
| brighter like the sun suddenly escaping
from cloud and throwing Its rsfulgenco
| upon the world, as he would halt In bis
painful expressions and be gin. by the
| way" and follow 1t with story Illus
trating the subjsct he had been discuss
ing. 1t was this quality of humo- that
was Lipooln's safety valve. 1t was the
only relief he had from the resp nsibili
ties and so.rous which would have
crushed almost any other man.
In the early summer of 1868, Colonel
| ForEey ard called upon Lincoln, in
company with General Cameron, 10 sug'
gest that the President should tender a
| mission to Governor Curtin, Wh ose
health was 80 severely broken that his
friends believed he could not survive u
campaign for reelection. Foraey was
tho friend CT Cameron and Curtin;
: Cameron ana Curtin were bitter Toss,
| whose intercourse Was confined strictly IL
| official matters, and Cameron and had
never been political friends, although our
| friendly personal relations were neTss
disturbed / had never supported him In
his political aspirations, and he had
when ] wss the regular nominse OF my
party. Cameron desired Curtin out OF
| tho way because he had more friendly
candidate for Governor; desired him
| out of the way because l believed 10 was
| n o. dice between retirement and death.
All agreeing. therefore, that Curtin
| should retire, We went TO tbs President to
ask him to open the way for Curtin's
withdrawal by rendering him foreign
mission. IL was the first time that Cam
| eron and had asked the same favor at
his hands, ana Lincoln was much amused
| at the situation.
He said that, of, course, with such a
com bination In favor Of Curtin he would
want to give him u mission, but, said
he: al am in this position Of young Sheri'
| dan when his father told him that he
mus. cease his rakish life and taks u wife
| TO which hs answered.. 'All very well,
father, but whose wife shall taker u
lis added that he wanted to give Curtin
| q mission, but the missions were all full.
and, said he; "Whoss mission shall
takea'
| 1t was agreed, however, that hs should
consider the subject until the next morn
ming. when ne Requested Inc % call TO
receive his answer l did so, and he gave
me an autograph letter TO Curtin. tender
ing b I'm a tirse.class mission ut the oloss
| of his Gubsrnatorial term. Curtin gave
| public notice OF his acceptance OF IL. and
1 his retirement from the Guhsrnatorial
contest, hut within few weeks there
after o mum her of the leading counties OF
tae state gaze peremptory Instructions In
| bis favor, and demanded that ne should
not be psrmtttad to retire. He wal
nominated soreiy against his viii and
reelected, but narrowly escaped giving
| his life as q sacrihcs.-A. *. Mcclure
In Philadelphia Saturday Evening Post.