The Washington herald., 1915-10-04
HISTORY BUILDERS.
A Man Who Warned Lincoln.
Written s1IIes.ly 70. The Washington Herald.
by DIR. T.. J. EDWARDS,

ny DH. e. y. ED" AHDS.
Thomas Merrick. who has been for
| many years postmaster of the iourishing
town Of Henniker, y. H.. and who is to
retire at the expiration OF his term, on
january l next, was in civil war days
brought, by reason of his vocation. fire.
quently into association with the lenders
both in Lincoln's administration aud in
Congress. Mr.. Mcrrick was the mana
ger. or assistant manager. of the Nation
al Hotel In war days that hotel ranked
In public favor with Wilard's. AS II was
nearer the Capitol than Wizards It was
a favorite temporary home for politicians
and statesmen who visited Washington
Mr.. Merrick narrated to me. at a time
when ] was fortunate enough to meet
him. some interesting "reminiscences
which were associated with President
Lincoln, with his war secretary. Edwin
NJ Stanton. and with some of the lead
ers in Congress. He was personally
known to almost all OF these leaders.
Il esteem it now my great good for
tune to have had personal acquaintance
with President Lincoln" Mr.. Merrlck
told me. Il never met him without being
impressed with the perfect spirit of dem
ocracy and with his complete freedom
from any ostentation or sense of self
importance. BY the way. that was more
or less true of all the really great men
whom l met during my sOiourn in Wash
ington. The bigger the man intellectual
ly and In achievement. the less stuffed
up with pride he was sure to be.
Nevertheless. MIR. Lincoln always
maintained a certain dignity which was
not inconsistent with real modesty. No
man would dare to try to be familiar
with Abraham Lincoln, and yet he made
every man whom he met feel at home.
Il recany vividly my last meeting with
Lincoln. It was just after he had Wis
tied Richmond. after Gen. Lee and the
Confederate government had gone from
that city. / heard many persons. guests
at the hotel. say that they feared that
the President had made a mistake in go
ing to Richmond. He would be exposed
to danger of assassination by some luna
tic or frenZied person. they feared. re-
call the expressions of relief which i
heard when it was announced that the
president had left Richmond and was in
excellent health and perfectly safe.
"A day or two after he returned to
Washington. he was out riding and told
the driver to stop the carriage in front
Of the National Hotel. Some one was
there whom he wanted to see or leave
some message for. / went to the car
riage and the President shook hands with
me and told me the occasion of his stop
ping in front of the hotel.
II told him that ! did not believe he
could know how thoroughly relieved we
all were when we heard that he had made
his visit to Richmond In safety and had
left that city alive and well
He asked me why We should feel re-
lieved. and told him that We were
afraid some crank or infuriated person
might try to assassinate him.
I'm reply he said. smiling half sadly: |
Why. nobody wants to kill me. I never |
thought anybody would want to kill me- !
:" But said l. some crank or insane |
person might take it into his head to at |
tack you
IN reply he said. oh. that is dan
ger to which every man who walks the
public streets is liable.
>"Yet within a few days The nation ,
learned that Lincoln was gone. For there |
were conspirators who plotted success
fully to kill him.
Copyright 1916 by L. J. Edwards. All rights Ne
seryed.)
Tomorrow DIR. Edwards will tell When
Grant Was Made Lieutenant General"