Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-02-09
What Would Lincoln Do?

self that he did not dare carry
pocketknife about while this hcANs
mood WAS on him \ friend kept con
slant surveillance over MN lot s SEA
lifted sufficiently to enable nIm 70
recover his equilibrium. Nevertheless.
II is believed that the protouno spe,.ss
OF melancholy which alternatea WIN
his merry outbursts throuSnoa MS
rest of his life were the result OF 'h's
early period of heart tragedy. .s
In 1899 he again fell in love, snis
time with Mary Todd. an accomplish
ed, prepossessing, refined RIi, n.ns
years Lineoln's junior. sne a Az Vas
set Tor January /, iS4l. But. some
how, the bashful bridegroom-to-p DC
failed TO present himself on time.
while the bride. the guests ana t1e
minister were in waiting. The price
broke OFF the engagement. and on
January % Lincoln wrote TO MAJ
Stuart who had become his law par
ner and who was then In Cohsrssss'
IF what l feel We're equaiiy ois
tributed to the whole human Iainis
there would be not one cheeriui laee
On earth"
Late in ls42 mutual friend sue,
ceeded In Modifying Miss Todd anu
blowing the smoldering emners ol
love into a fresh glow. The entente
cordiale" was completely restored pS
an escapade which had In 1t enough
of the aspect of impending TRAGEDY
to make Lincoln loom as q nero IN
the eyes of the young woman e h
and Lincoln had contributed TO the
Sangamon Journal articles wnlch
placed an irritable young politician
James Shields, In ludicrous hght'
He resented this and challenged LIN
coin to a duel. In accepting IL LIN
coin chose as weapons cavalry broaG :
swords of the largest size. Shleios
was a man of slight build as COM
pared with the six foot -four LIN ,
coin. and a sword OF the size specined
would have been a hindrance rather
than help 10 him in a duel. Just
before the meeting Lincoln brohsht
the affair to a pleasant termination by
apoiogizing. In after years he USED
to say he was more ashamed of this
affair than of almost anything else
he had ever done. An Army officer
during the civil war asked Lincoln
whether he had really accepted a
challenge.
dent. but If you desire my friendship
you will never mention the clrcum-
stance again"
Lincoln was assassinated on the
evening of April IA. 1865. just after
he had laughed heartily over drol
situation in the comedy of "Oul
Yankee Cousin" at Fords Theater
Wilkes Booth, an actor, had gained
access to the box where President ant
Mrs. Lincoln and their guests were
sitting and fired the shot which ended
one of the noblest lives In all history
Ten days before that Lincoln hat
visited Richmond. Va. the capital o.
the Confederate states. shortly a1tel
Gen. Lee evacuated the city to sur,
render to Gen. Grant. And 1t was jus
ten days after Lincoln's murder tha
the war was decisiveiy terminated by
the surrender of Gen. Johnston to Gen
Sherman.
made at Washington on April IL. i
was devoted chiefly to the. question
Of the reconstruction of the loyal gov
ernments In the conquered states
He had often incurred the anger @
the Secretary of War and the generals
in the field by granting pardon ever
in cases where the death of orendlnt
soldiers was declared TO be essentia
to discipline. His kindness OF hear
rebelled at anything like deliberate
killing. Nor was he tender only to thu
men In blue, Those in gray wer'
scarcely less the objects of his solici
tude His great heart beat for then
in their distress with a father!y af
lection. like another David over an
other Absalom. The following Incl
gent ILLUSTRATES lUlS' -
Or. Jerome Walker OF Brooklyn,
Y, had been taking the Presiden
t through the wards of the hospital a
> city Point, After visiting the ward
filled with convalescing Union soldier
they came to three wards occupied b
wounded southern prisoners. With
: feeling of patriotic zeal DR.. Wake
said: II don't suppose you want to e
in there. Mr. President; they're onl
rebels"
Lincoln stopped and, gently layin
,. his hand upon the surgeons shoulde
, said: You mean Confederates."
, And he went through those, ward
! and DR.. Walker afterward said: "Fo
aught ! could see. he was just as kline
his handshaking just as hearty. hi
,, interest for the welfare of the me
just as real as when he was anon
l our own soldiers
Now he belongs to the ages sal
, Secretary of War Stanton, when, N
morning after the shooting, Lincoi
= breathed his last,