The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-13
4 ] [ill-|{4I1{1 t|i:|1 ]

and believes himself to be the only one OF
| the dozen or more guests who is alive to-
| day. At this dinner ii was proposed that
! owing to threats of assassination, Lincoln
| should change his plans SO as TO pass
| through Baltimore during the night. The
| author says:
| Governor Curtin stated the facts to the dining
! guests and insisted that Lincoln's programme
| should he changed. Every one present promptly
responded in approval, and the only silent man at
| the table was Lincoln. | sat enough TO MIN
10 watch and study his face. and there was not :.
sign of agitation upon If. and when he was called
| upon TO give his views, it at once made
| evident TO all that he thought much more OF
| commanding the respect and honor of the nation
! than of preserving his life. His answer was sub
| stantially. and think exactly, in these words.
| al cannot consent What would the nation think
/ of its President stealing into It's Capital like a
| thief in the night!'' His voice clear and
| distinct. and his cool and earnest manner made
his expression painfully pathetic.
| 1t was, however, decided that the ques-
| ton was not one for Lincoln to settle, and
| he was taken on a special train to fhi!a-
| delphia in time TO make the II O'Clock train
| to Washington The only person in Phila-
! delphia who was informed OF the movement
was Superintendent kenney, of the Phiia-
! delphia. Wilmington and Baltimore Rail-
road, who received the President-elect in
! his carriage took him to the train, and
| saw him started for Washington, where he
arrived next morning at o'clock. Colonel
| Mcclure adds that Mrs. Lincoln. on this oc-
! casion. came near upsetting the whole plan
by creating a scene which would give 1t
publicity; and he states that even then her
| life was overshadowed by the malady in
| the darkness of which 1t ended.
Various interesting giimpses are given
here of the President as he was in his home
! a he ,hor or-ir I'm
! love and reverence for his memory. He
gays that the most beautiful tribute he
ever heard paid to Lincoln came from the
lips of jefferson Davis some ten years
after the war, when Colonel Mcclure Wis
tied at his nome in Mississippi Mr.. Davis
said:
Next TO the destruction Of the Confederacy, the
death " Abraham Lincoln TIT darkest day
| the South has ever known.
In subsequent chapter there is recorded
| an interesting interview which Colonel Nc
/ Clure had with Andrew johnson during the
reconstruction era. in which the President
| heard things more spicy than agreeable re-
/ garding his policy. particularly import
! ant scrap of this conversation related
| TO the President Of the late Confederacy.
and the author relates ii is follows:
| then asked him what he proposed TO do
with jefferson Davis, who still in prison At
1 Fortress Monroe, charged with completely in the
| assassination oil Lincoln. that he
much embarrassed by the enquiry, and told him
tl.at he owed it TO The truth of history, to Davis
himself, and to public justice 10 give him
| iair trial. reminded him also that Wurz, who
! mad Just been tried by court-msriiai for wall
\ ton and mUrderous brutality 10 the Union pris
oners, with the judgment in the case then in
| the hands of the Government, but not announc
ed, would be condemned and executed, as he was
| poor and triendless- | said that If Wurz was
I guilty Of studied brutality TO prisoners he de-
served 10 die, but tina; if he was SIMPLY execut-
ing the policy of the government of the Conied-
crazy, as vas then publicly charged, Of delib-
| erately and systematically numbering Union
prisoners by giving them unWhoiesome or in
sufficient food. and Withholding the necessary and
possible attention 10 the sick and dying, the
responsible criminal was jefferson Davis. In
answer, the President asked how that could be
done. 10 which | responded by saving that
court -martial consisting Of Generals Grant, Sher-
man, Thomas, Sheridan, and Meade could well
be charged with grave enquiry, their
judgment would be accepted by the country
and the world. II they condemned Davis, he de-
as ] believed they would, he would stand
quilted of one of the most colossal crimes ever
charged against an individual. To my surprise,
the President answered that there strong
prejudice growing up against courts martial.
He was quite right in that declaration, up
TO that time he had used them freely and
almost wholly in the administration Of justice
in all cases having any connection with the war
He had denounced Davis an assassin and
in his new relation with the South, which chang
cd his conditions materially, he was anxious TO
protect DAVIS, and evidently did not wish his
accusations 10 be passed upon by competent
court
then said to the President that it was his
duty to discharge Davis; that Davis should
either be tried given his liberty at an early
day, as he had already been long in prison, and
reminded him also that he could not Try a man |
for treason who was president of government |
that had beeaguered our Capital for four years,
and that had been recognized by our Govern |
ment and by the leading governments Of the |
world as belliserent power. The discussion
Of the Davis question, that was very unpleasant
one 10 the President, brought the conference to |
a finish. !
Another particularly interesting chapter |
is that dealing with the Hayes Tilden con-
test, and in this Colonel Mcclure states |
that the detection of Conlsling at critical |
time in this coEtest was due TO Kate Chase |
Sprague who thus avenged the defeat OF |
her father in the Democratic domination
OF 1865, which vas due to Tilden; and that |
is bit of history which will certainly sur
prise the world at large.
The author also gives the story OF the
estrangement between Cleveland and |
Charles A. Dana which resulted in the |
bitter opposition manifested toward Cleve-
land throughout his second term, by the
New York Sun" In dealing with the
last Presidential election, he regards the !
1''N''' -" 1900 - SAT- Vi 'ic iHueptEu-
ence of American journalism as one Of its
most impressive features. noting the re-
pudiation of the Chicago platform by sew
eral leading papers. and the adoption OF
free silver principles by others, contrary
TO their previous political record The book
ends with a recapitulation of the contents.
partly in the form OF statistics, and follow
ed by thorough index. 1t is illustrated |
with portraits of all the Presidents, and
If the author and in its way is a most |
valuable contribution to the history of
American politics. (New York: Harper
G. Bros. 5000