The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1905-10-26
SECRETARY FESStNDEN.
John M. Todd's "reminiscences of the Great
Cabinet Minister.
From the Portland Press

Hen. Wllllam flCI feSSeuueu was d
man of great reserve, seldom lntroduc-
ing a subject for conversation, land
what he knew he stunned to show as
hardly worth q strangers care to
know" He always appeared to be in
deep study, passed his nearest friends
without noticing them. One morning
Deacon William Swan, one of the salt
of the earth, real old-fashioned gentle
man, said: "John, are you acquainted
with William Pitt Fessenden?" Eyes,
cut his hair often" Don't you think
that his success in life and people max
ing so much of him has putfed him up
a little too much?"
81 am now feeling quite indignant for
l have just passed him on the corner OF
Middle and Pearl street and | SAID:
Good morning, Mr.. FeSsenden?' He
never deigned to notice me, and feel
it very much
[. as usual, full of my jokes, said:
''Why, Deacon, am surprised that you
should have noticed that: why he often
passes me without noticing me, and
thereby depriving himself of the honor.
l never think of it. Why does Mr..
Fessenden pass you without speaking
to YOU? You surely are his peer, social
Nv. and looked up to and highly respect
ed by all.
no. no. Deacon, he has no thought
of sighting you: he is man OF deep
meditation and at that time thinking
over some case in court, perhaps study
ing out line of defense in his next
case before the court.
In lS49 Mr.. Joshua Dunn, a great
politician and speaker in political cam
paigns, was putting forth every effort
to obtain the appointment as post-maS-
him to sign the paper.
swered. First, ! am pledged to sup
port Mr.. Andrew P Dole for that place,
and, secondly, / think yon are lncapa-
BILE of filling the place
Mr.. Dunn told me that he was speech
less, and said to himself: That's what
l get for all the labor l have bestowed
on Mr.. Fessenden. | have voted, work
ed and spoken for him. He was my
idol: | was his friend and | supposed he
was mine, and now when l need his
support he slaps me in the face. 1t al.
most broke my heart. L turned and
looked after him, watched him out OF
sight until he turned the corne.: l
stood there thinking and said to myself,
Pitt, notwithstanding tins hard blow
YOU have given me, love you still. and
as David said, had it been an enemy
that approached me, could have borne
it, but it was thou, my friend, and |
felt the blow. You have told me truth
fully what you thought and what |
might expect. unlike some who signed
my petition, and then wrote letters to
Washington saying l was not fit fol the
place, and | shall keep right on working
for you, Pitt
Remember this was in 1913, tefore
Mr.. Fessenden's fame became world
wide He was not man to bow and
scrape to you just before election, and
not know you afterwards. | have met
such but he never stopped to conquer.
On January l. 1865, | was in Washing
ton, d. e., shook hands with Abraham
Lincoln, and said to him: God bless
you. Mr.. Lincoln" and he smiled and
said: "Thank you, sir" | had taken
presidents by the hand before, yes, had
taken senators by the nose, doctors of
divinity by the ear aid marked the
symptoms of the great and glaring eyes
and martial gait, but never before had
| felt in the presence OF any man as
felt when | looked up in the face of
Abraham Lincoln. 1t was not Because
he was President of the United States
or any great intellect, but it was that
namelesS something that came over me,
shall, | say, overshadowed me by
spiritual influence, name.ess, eyermore,
but never to be forgotten. | went to
Washington supposing l had important
business there, but because OF another
person | did no business, so l inter
preted that | was sent there to meet
Abraham Lincoln by some invisible
power and there is no act in my life
that | am more proud of or made a
deeper impression upon me.
While passing down Pennsylvania
avenue ! saw Mr. Fessenden approach
ing me. | thought to myself he won't
notice, for he seldom does when in Port
land but to my great surprise he step
ped in front of me, reached out his
hand, shook mine cordially, said
What are you doing here, John?" |
replied, 81 am not after anything" and
he smiled and said, you are about the
only one of my former constituents
whom | have met here who are not
after anything"
He was then secretary of the treas
ury. He invited me to his Office in the
Treasury building l went. He show
ed me the rooms and treated me with
all the respect he would have shown to
the governor of the State. When he
arrived home | met him and was about
to thank him for his great politeness
he had shown me in Washington, when
to my great surprise he passed and did
not notice me. | was somewhat puZ-
Zled whether it was absent Kindness or
whether he thought familiarity might
breed contempt but this do know,
he was man too noble in nature to
stoop so low as not to notice a poor
man through any foolish pride or dis
respect for his fellowmen.
The following story of how Mr.. Fes-
sender was appointed secretary of the
treasury was told me by one of his
most intimate friends:
Mr.. Lincoln sent for Mr.. FeSsenden
and said "Mr. Fessenden, l want you
to accept the treasury secretaryship."
81 won't do it; l don't know thing
about it," was the answer.
Throwing his long arm that went
about twice around his body, the Pres
ident said: You must accept it; the
treasury must have your moral intiu-
ence at this time, and if you think you
don't know about it, go to Wall street,
they will tell you
Il don't want it," Mr. Fessenden an
swers, ''but knowing the great burden
I l.