The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-08


1t was a month after his Inaugural
ton that I met him. Judge Ilarring-
ton Of Delaware invited me to accom-
pany him and his son Richard to
Washington. Richard Harrington. af-
tcrward prominent in Delaware poll
tics, was at that time my fellow stu
dent at the West River Institute. Judge
Harrington. on his way to Washington.
stopped TO see his son and Richard
persuaded his father to take him along
and | was invited to he of the party.
Reaching Washington. we went di-
rectly to the White House. The old
building looked then much as it did
up to the time the new office buildings
were erected a few years ago. There
was not much formality. 4 colored
man sat in the outer room and In
response to Judge Harrington's inquiry
sad the President was in and would
see us. In a few minutes we entered
his Office
The President was seated at his desk.
There was no one else in the room
and he arose and walked over to meet
us. / was deeply prcjudiccd against
him and | recall a feeling almost of
disappointment as observed him COM
ing up toward us. Instead of the
very awkward and unprepossessing
person | had so often heard described.
! saw what struck me as very pleas
ing, well dressed gentleman lie wore
black suit with frock coat, showed an
Immaculate shirt front and wore a
neatly tied black scarf about his neck.
as was the fashion at that time. In
fact he seemed to me a better dressed
and more graceful appearing man than
Secretary Seward, whom we met the
same day.
The President greeted Judge IIarring-
ton cordially and the Judge introduced
us. While shaking hands with us. ne
laughingly said to Richard:
I'm getting to like your father as
I become better acquainted with him
When | came East | didn't like him
a. all"
Richard answered, Didn't you?
Most everybody likes father"
The President laughed heartily and
said: do you know your father once
wrote a book. Harrington on Personal
Property Well. l only knew him by
his book. Trying a case in Illinois
the opposing counsel drew this book on
me and lost the case There will often
be more law dug up in suit about
a ringboned. spawned. wind broken
horse worth s35 than in a case involv-
ing a hundred thousand dollars. | only
knew your father from his book. but
when l got acquainted with him |
found that he was not anything like
as bad as his book
AS We entered a part. of Ave men
passed out and several of them spoke
to Judge Harrington. When he had
discussed the immediate object Of his
visit the Judge said to the President
bluntly:
VIVA, did those fellows from Ba,i-
more WANT"
Looking very serious. he replied:
"Thats a committee OF Union men from
the Y. NJ. c. A. of Baltimore They came
over To ask that no further efforts be
made to send Federal troops through
the State of Maryland
The Judge gave an inquiring look and
the serious man went on:
Il told them that there was no other
way to get the troops 10 Washington.
They can't fly over the State nor crawl
under It. Therefore they will have to
come across it in the usual way. We
cannot sit here coopcd up like rats in
trap and be killed because of such
protests"
was always impressed with the re-
semblance of Mr.. Lincoln TO jefferson
Davis. though IL was never mentioned
so far as l know. They were the same
type of mental, thin. wiry and given
to the same style of dress. Mr.. Lincoln
was taller and larger. but not "A great
deal. Their manner Of speaking was
much the same. Each had the habit
Of pausing after an important sentence,
apparently to let it soak in. 1t was IA
kind OF hesitancy that made greatly for
impressiveness. Lincoln was greater as
an orator. Davis was scholar.
Afterward as I sat and heard Mr.
Davis talk the resemblance to Presl-
dent Lincoln in personal appearance,
manner and voice impressed me
strongly.
On one occasion took seat with
my back to an open window, when MIR.
Davis said earnestly:
Don't sit there. 1t Is very ndiscrcet
TO sit with the back to an open WIN
dow. feel that drau,;ht is like the
storms Of this life: II we face them we
can withstand them. but once turn our
backs to them. they get the best of us. -
As he paused in his earIestness and
then proceeded slowly l Caught myself
saying:
"That's just the way President Lin
coin would have expressed it,"
President Andrew Johnson in speak
ing OF his immediate predecessor once
said
"He was as much misreprescnted in