Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1924-02-07
Lincoln Was Not
So Mild and Meek
Great Liberator Could Bare
Teeth and Fight When
Necessary
BY PROF. q. J. cioRAND, In Chicago
Evening American.

Evening American.
There is a tendency Ill recent writ
ings to picture Lincoln so mild and
meek that his red-bloodedness and his
emphatic methods of rebuke are lost
and the real value Of the giant among
men Is destroyed.
Several recent biographies and many.
orations and magazine articles of late
years have given the impression that
Lincoln was not master Of his cabinet.
1t Is said he often laughed and told
stories when his serious opinion was
needed.
If any president endured intrigue at
the cabinet board, Lincoln did. Not a.
single other man who ever sat In the
presidential chair would have per-.
mitted the bold, personal campaigning
of his personal associates.
But Lincoln seemed to let these men
go on, gradually disclosing not only
to himself but the public their selfish
personal ambitions and then at the
right time and in an inimitable way he
would grab the official by the coat
collar and bring him back to the
straight and narrow path Of Lincoln
ideas.
Lincoln's manner of dealing with
men was entirely different from that
of any other president.
He even ran after" General Nc
Clellan and permitted offensive CORE.
spondence and no end Of "slights" to
come to light. But Lincoln, like an
indulgent father, could, when the
proper moment came, call a halt and
take some of the officials ''in the wood
shed and dust their trousers
Uitimatum to Plotters.
TO show he was not intimidated, /
give copy of letter which he read
at cabinet meeting during the time
when Stanton, Chase and Seward were
secretly condemning one another and
suggesting removals so that they might
all the better conduct their campaign
to prevent Lincoln's reelection and seat
| themselves.
! The letter reads:
II must be the Judge how long to
retain in, and when to remove any
| of you from his position. 1t would
greatly pain me to discover any of
| you endeavoring to procure an
/ others removal, or, In any way, to
| prejudice him before the public.
Such endeayor would be a wrong
to me; and much worse wrong to
the country My wish is that ON
| this subject no remark be made,
nor question asked by any of you,
here or elsewhere, now or here
after
One day early in Lincolns admins
tration, Mrs. lincoln said to him:
at is common rumor about the cap
ital that Seward and not you will be
the president-that he will rule you"
He replied:
Il may not rule myself, but certain
| ly Seward shall not. The only ruler
I have is my conscience, following God
| in it, and these men will have to learn
that yet"
| At another time Lincoln was visited
by congressional committee headed
| by Thad Stevens, who burst in on Lin
coin with the accusation:
THE way you are running this coun-
try is causing it to be approaching hell,
and very fast"
Lincoln asked: about how far from
that place are we now?"
Stevens sharply replied: Il would
say about q mile"
/ Lincoln smiled and replied about
mile-why that's about from here to
the capitol" And everyone save
! Stevens roared.
Stepped Out of Beaten Path.
Seward, who had for years toiled to
subordinate Lincoln, finally wrote to
his wife: Executive skill and vigor
are rare qualities. The President is
| the best of us"