Evening star., 1945-05-06
THE DIARY OF
A PUBLIC MAN

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A PUBLIC MAN
IAN Intimate Vie1D OF the NG-
tional administration, Decem-
Der 2S, 1860, to March IS, 1861.
With a Forepord by Carl
Sandburg and Predatory Notes
by F. Lduriston Bullard. Pri-
Dately printed for the Abrd-
ham Lincoln Bookshop, is
North Michigan Avenue, Chi
cago. s1OJ
Reviewed by DAVID G. MEARNS,
Director Reference Department,
the Library OF Congress.
This is the first separate edition
of one of the most mysterious docu-
ments in the vast literature OF what
Walt Whitman called "the Seces-
sionist War" Previously published
only in the North American Re-
view, in its issues for August NO.
vember, 1879; with the subtitle, "Un-
published Passages of the Secret
History of the American Civil War"
it's authorship has never been estab-
lished. The editor Of the Review,
the brilliant Allen Thorndike Rice
in an Introductory statement, par
TALLY explained the diarist's ano-
nymity in terms of the danger by
premature publicity Of wounding
feelings which should be sacred.
AS a result the identity of its writer
appears to have died with Mr.. Rice
decade later.
If this Diary" were comprised
only of gossip and trivia, if its con-
tents were historically less impor-
tant or cast a thinner shadow on
a tragic time, this overWeening
sense of delicacy would be less un-
fortunate; but the Public Man
and the events which he confided
to his journal possess a national
significance which require the most
careful study.
For whatever his name, the Public
Man." on the basis of internal evil
dence, was obviously a political fig.
ure of recognized reputation; his
associates were the outstanding per-
sonages of the day; though himself
an ardent Unionist, he enjoyed ano
retained the confidence and respect
of the Southern leaders: once g
Wing, he had probably become g
conservative Republican; there il
reason to assume that he was q
member of the United States Sen
ate; there can be no doubt that
he was supercilious and a little
patronizing in his manner towarc
his interiors"
An Epidemic of Madness.
Although the Diary" covers a
span of IS days, entries for 81 are
reproduced; these are devoted to
such subjects as the misadventures
of the peace commissioners, the
peril implicit in the personalities
of the rumored choices for the new
cabinet, the ominous withdrawal of
the Southern sympathizers from po-
sitions Of high responsibility in the
Federal Government, the problem
of that "wretched fort" Sumter
and the old notion that, in times
of great national trial and excite
ment. so many men do 60 mad, SO
to speak. in a quiet and private way
that madness becomes a sort OF
epidemic
But the most interesting passages
are those concerned with that
strange new man from the West
Abraham Lincoln, who is described
as mot a great man certainly, and
but for something almost woman
like in the look of his eyes Che Isl
I should say the most ill-favored
son of Adam I ever saw, but he is
crafty and sensible" Again, he Is
depicted as terribly bored" at the
opera, wearing pair of huge black
kid gloves, which attracted the at
tention of the whole house, hanging
as they did over the red velvet box
front"
Upon one occasion, while the dia-
rist was calling upon Mr., Lincoln at
the Willard, he was surprised and
quite obviously shocked when his
host pulled himself together up out
of the rocking chair, into which he
had packed himself" and asked
very abruptly: You never put
backs with (Charles) Sumner, did
you?" The diarist laughed, and
confessed that that experience had
been denied him. We'll, I supposed
not" said Mr.. Lincoln, and, after
moments hesitation, continued
When he was in here I asked him
to measure with me, and do you
know he made little speech about
it. Yes, he told me he
thought this was a time for unit
ing our fronts and not our backs
before the enemies of the country.
or something like that. 1t was very
fine. :. But I reckon the truth was
he was-afraid to measure"
Lincoln Was Nervous.
During the first inaugural 'Mr
Lincoln was pale and very nervous
and did not read his address very
well, which is not much to be won
dered at under all the circum-
stances. His spectacles troubled
him, his position was crowded and
uncomfortable and. in short, moth
ing had been done which ought to
have been done to render the per-
formance OF this great duty either
dignifled in its effect or, physically
speaking, easy for the President.
These extracts are sufficient tt
demonstrate the regret that the ''Di-
The Music Is Gone