Lincoln was the actual head of the administration, and whenever he chose
to do so he controlled Secretary of War Stanton as well as the other
Cabinet ministers.
Secretary Stanton on one occasion said: “Now, Mr. President, those are
the facts and you must see that your order cannot be executed.”
Lincoln replied in a somewhat positive tone: “Mr. Secretary, I reckon
you’ll have to execute the order.”
Stanton replied with vigor: “Mr. President, I cannot do it. This order
is an improper one, and I cannot execute it.”
Lincoln fixed his eyes upon Stanton, and, in a firm voice and accent
that clearly showed his determination, said: “Mr. Secretary, it will
have to be done.”
It was done.
“RATHER STARVE THAN SWINDLE.”
Ward Lamon, once Lincoln’s law partner, relates a story which places
Lincoln’s high sense of honor in a prominent light. In a certain case,
Lincoln and Lamon being retained by a gentleman named Scott, Lamon put
the fee at $250, and Scott agreed to pay it. Says Lamon:
“Scott expected a contest, but, to his surprise, the case was tried
inside of twenty minutes; our success was complete. Scott was satisfied,
and cheerfully paid over the money to me inside the bar, Lincoln looking
on. Scott then went out, and Lincoln asked, ‘What did you charge that
man?’
“I told him $250. Said he: ‘Lamon, that is all wrong. The service was
not worth that sum. Give him back at least half of it.’
“I protested that the fee was fixed in advance; that Scott was perfectly
satisfied, and had so expressed himself. ‘That may be,’ retorted
Lincoln, with a look of distress and of undisguised displeasure, ‘but I
am not satisfied. This is positively wrong. Go, call him back and return
half the money at least, or I will not receive one cent of it for my
share.’
“I did go, and Scott was astonished when I handed back half the fee.
“This conversation had attracted the attention of the lawyers and
the court. Judge David Davis, then on our circuit bench (afterwards
Associate Justice on the United States Supreme bench), called Lincoln to
him. The Judge never could whisper, but in this instance he probably
did his best. At all events, in attempting to whisper to Lincoln he
trumpeted his rebuke in about these words, and in rasping tones that
could be heard all over the court-room: ‘Lincoln, I have been watching
you and Lamon. You are impoverishing this bar by your picayune charges
of fees, and the lawyers have reason to complain of you. You are now
almost as poor as Lazarus, and if you don’t make people pay you more for
your services you will die as poor as Job’s turkey!’
“Judge O. L. Davis, the leading lawyer in that part of the State,
promptly applauded this malediction from the bench; but Lincoln was
immovable.
“‘That money,’ said he, ‘comes out of the pocket of a poor, demented
girl, and I would rather starve than swindle her in this manner.’”