Lincoln made the best of everything, and if he couldn’t get what he
wanted he took what he could get. In matters of policy, while President
he acted according to this rule. He would take perilous chances, even
when the result was, to the minds of his friends, not worth the risk he
had run.
One day at a meeting of the Cabinet, it being at the time when it seemed
as though war with England and France could not be avoided, Secretary
of State Seward and Secretary of War Stanton warmly advocated that the
United States maintain an attitude, the result of which would have been
a declaration of hostilities by the European Powers mentioned.
“Why take any more chances than are absolutely necessary?” asked the
President.
“We must maintain our honor at any cost,” insisted Secretary Seward.
“We would be branded as cowards before the entire world,” Secretary
Stanton said.
“But why run the greater risk when we can take a smaller one?” queried
the President calmly. “The less risk we run the better for us. That
reminds me of a story I heard a day or two ago, the hero of which was
on the firing line during a recent battle, where the bullets were flying
thick.
“Finally his courage gave way entirely, and throwing down his gun, he
ran for dear life.
“As he was flying along at top speed he came across an officer who drew
his revolver and shouted, ‘Go back to your regiment at once or I will
shoot you!’
“‘Shoot and be hanged,’ the racer exclaimed. ‘What’s one bullet to a
whole hatful?’”