Evening star., 1922-02-12

Yates wrote eleven years later to one
Of I.incoln's biographers that this was
good advice, but came too late.
Another pleasant recollection of
Representative Yates is that his own
father secured from President Lincoln
on the very day Of his assassination
the last commission he ever signed.
for another famous Illinoisan. He
tells the story thus:
"On the morning Of the day Of the
assassination q visit to the White
House was paid by my father, then
a senator. and another Illinoisan, who
had been a presidential elector. and
later a federal Judge, and later a
colonel of the 7th Illinois Cavalry.
My father said: Mr.. President. here
che man you want The President
s,tiG. That's SO. he'll do," and added,
am going to send you to New
Orleans to be collector Of the port.
You will have 1000 employees under
you. all northerners, because sub
stantially all southerners are dis
franchised; but 1 want you to make
love to those people down there
1T is of interest to record that the
President, at. this interview. for some
reason, said: L want this commission
issued now, and did not rest. until the
commission was delivered-sent over
by the Secretary Of the Treasury
and the two Illinoisanss walked out
with the last commission ever signed
by Lincoln. That night they so
journed at the old National Hotel, in
room IL. and about o'clock my
father. who had been at the theater,
rushed in. very pale. and shouted:
oh. Kellogg. the President has been
shot And Kellogg told me only two
years ago-'So we walked the streets
all night, a hundred thousand men
never went to bed at all-and in the
morning stood across the street and
watched them carry out the body Of
Abraham Lincoln with his last COM
mission warm against my heart
"The Kellogg have mentioned was
William Pitt Kellogg. later governor
and senator from Louisiana and warm
friend Of such men as Maj. Gen Long
street and Gen. Wade Hampton. 1
want to emphasize that Lincoln said: ::
Make love to those people,"
X x+
ILLUSTRATING that Lincoln never
lost faith in Divine Providence, RepS
resentative Yates tells a story which
he had from the lips of President
William Mckinley. rs told to him by
Maj. Gen.. Dan Sickles, of how on
the day after the battle of Gettys.
burg Gen. sickles was carried. to
Washington. desperately wounded.
His first caller was President Lincoln,
and after he had inquired all about
the battle. Gen. Sickles said: Mr..
President. what did you think Of
Gettysburg" Mr.. Lincoln replied:
well. Sickles, will tell you. When
I heard that Gen. Lee was marching
with his vast army upon Gettysburg
and that the safety of the capital.
north and Of the whole nation, was
imperiled. I went into a little room
that I have at the White House, where
nobody goes but me, and I got down
on both my knees and prayed to the
Lord God Almighty as ! never had
prayed before. and told Him that
this was His people, and that this
was His country, and that these were
His battles We were fighting, and
that we could not stand any more
Fredericksburgs or Chancellorsyilles
and told Him that If He would stand
by me, would stand by Him." And
Sickles said that the President ended
with the statement: After that
Sickles, I somehow had no moro fear
about Gettysburg
In discussing Abraham Lincoln'i
willingness to hold once and his be.
lief that man in<no way demeaned
himself by. seeking ohiee for which
he believed himself fitted, Repre-.
sentative Yates produces yet another
letter from Abraham Lincoln. dated
lSsptember 30. 1857. to his father al
! mute witnesA a. follows.
:'Your letter. called out by the let.
| ter Of J. O. Johnson. was rsosivsd BY
me on my return from Chicago. Mr.
JOHNSON wrote the letter by concer,
with me. ana 10 entirely rsliable.> HI
10 Z newcomer. bat can devote more
time to. getting up an organization
than any one I know who knows a
we'll - he how, to do 1t.
".And now let me say I wish you
would make up your mind to csml
to the legislature from Morgan
county next time. You can be- elected
and doubt some whether any ethe,
! friend can. 1t will De something oi