ANECDOTES OF MR. LINCOLN.
A man’s character often is best disclosed by trifling incidents, and it
is for this reason, perhaps, that the public is eager to read anecdotes
of its illustrious men. I shall devote the present chapter to anecdotes
of President Lincoln, gathered from various quarters. I shall not use
quotation-marks, but content myself with saying at the outset that they
are all borrowed.
At the reception at the President’s house one afternoon, many persons
present noticed three little girls poorly dressed, the children of some
mechanic or laboring man, who had followed the visitors fully into the
house to gratify their curiosity. They passed round from room to room,
and were hastening through the reception-room with some trepidation when
the President called to them, “Little girls, are you going to pass me
without shaking hands?”
Then he bent his tall, awkward form down, and shook each little girl
warmly by the hand. Everybody in the apartment was spell-bound by the
incident--so simple in itself, yet revealing so much of Mr. Lincoln’s
character.
_The President and the Paymaster._
One of the numerous paymasters at Washington sought an introduction to
Mr. Lincoln. He arrived at the White House quite opportunely, and was
introduced to the President by the United States Marshal, with his
blandest smile. While shaking hands with the President the paymaster
remarked:
“I have no official business with you, Mr. President; I only called to
pay my compliments.”
“I understand,” was the reply, “and, from the complaints of the
soldiers, I think that is all you do pay.”
_The Interviewer._
An interviewer, with the best intentions in the world, once went to Mr.
Lincoln’s room in the White House while he was President, and inquired:
“Mr. President, what do you think of the war and its end?”
To which Mr. Lincoln politely and laughingly replied:
“That question of yours puts me in mind of a story about something which
happened down in Egypt, in the southern part of Illinois.”
The point of it was that a man burned his fingers by being in too much
haste. Mr. Lincoln told the story admirably well, walking up and down
the room, and heartily laughing all the while. The interviewer was quick
to see the point. As a matter of course he was cut to the quick, and
quickly down-stairs he rushed, saying to himself:
“I’ll never interview that man again.”
_How Mr. Lincoln secured a Ride._
When Abraham Lincoln was a poor lawyer, he found himself one cold day at
a village some distance from Springfield, and with no means of
conveyance.
Seeing a gentleman driving along the Springfield road in a carriage, he
ran up to him and politely said:
“Sir, will you have the goodness to take my overcoat to town for me?”
“With pleasure,” answered the gentleman. “But how will you get it
again?”
“Oh, very easily,” said Mr. Lincoln, “as I intend to remain in it.”
“Jump in,” said the gentleman laughing. And the future President had a
pleasant ride.
_The President’s Influence._
Judge Baldwin, of California, an old and highly respectable and sedate
gentleman, called on General Halleck, and, presuming on a familiar
acquaintance in California a few years since, solicited a pass outside
of the lines to see a brother in Virginia, not thinking he would meet
with a refusal, as both his brother and himself were good Union men.
“We have been deceived too often,” said General Halleck, “and I regret I
can’t grant it.”
Judge B. then went to Stanton, and was very briefly disposed of with the
same result.
Finally he obtained an interview with Mr. Lincoln and stated his case.
“Have you applied to General Halleck?” said the President.
“And met with a flat refusal,” said Judge B.
“Then you must see Stanton,” continued the President.
“I have, and with the same result,” was the reply.
“Well, then,” said the President, with a smile of good humor, “I can do
nothing, for you must know that I have very little influence with this
administration.”
_The German Lieutenant._
A lieutenant, whom debts compelled to leave his father-land, succeeded
in being admitted to President Lincoln, and, by reason of his
commendable and winning deportment and intelligent appearance, was
promised a lieutenant’s commission in a cavalry regiment.
He was so enraptured with his success, that he deemed it a duty to
inform the President that he belonged to one of the oldest noble houses
in Germany.
“Oh, never mind that,” said Mr. Lincoln, with a twinkle of the eye; “you
will not find that to be any obstacle to your advancement.”
_A Pass for Richmond._
A gentleman called on the President, and solicited a pass for Richmond.
“Well,” said Mr. Lincoln, “I would be very happy to oblige you if my
passes were respected; but the fact is, sir, I have, within the last two
years, given passes to two hundred and fifty thousand men to go to
Richmond, and not one has got there yet.”
_Mr. Lincoln and the Preacher._
An officer under the Government called at the Executive Mansion,
accompanied by a clerical friend.
“Mr. President,” said he, “allow me to present to you my friend, the
Rev. Mr. F., of ----. Mr. F. has expressed a desire to see you, and have
some conversation with you, and I am happy to be the means of
introducing him.”
The President shook hands with Mr. F., desired him to be seated, and
took a seat himself. Then--his countenance having assumed an expression
of patient waiting--he said: “I am now ready to hear what you have to
say.”
“Oh, bless you, sir,” said Mr. F., “I have nothing special to say. I
merely called to pay my respects to you, and, as one of the million, to
assure you of my hearty sympathy and support.”
“My dear sir,” said the President, rising promptly, his face showing
instant relief, and with both hands grasping that of his visitor, “I am
very glad to see you; I am _very_ glad to see you, indeed. I thought you
had come to preach to me.”
_Mr. Lincoln and his Advisers._
Some gentlemen from the West waited upon the President. They were in a
critical mood. They felt that things were not going on as they should,
and they wanted to give advice. The President heard them patiently, and
then replied:
“Gentlemen, suppose all the property you were worth was in gold, and you
had put it in the hands of Blondin to carry across the Niagara River on
a rope; would you shake the cable, or keep shouting out to
him--‘Blondin, stand up a little straighter!’ ‘Blondin, stoop a little
more!’ ‘Go a little faster!’ ‘Lean a little more to the North!’ ‘Lean a
little more to the South!’ No, you would hold your breath as well as
your tongue, and keep your hands off till he was safely over. The
Government is carrying an immense weight. Untold treasures are in its
hands. It is doing the best it can. Don’t badger it. Keep silence, and
we’ll get you safe across.”
This simple illustration answered the complaints of half an hour, and
not only silenced but charmed the audience.
Somewhat similar is the answer made to a Western farmer, who waited upon
Mr. Lincoln, with a plan for the successful prosecution of the war, to
which the President listened with as much patience as he could. When he
was through, he asked the opinion of the President upon his plan.
“Well,” said Mr. Lincoln, “I’ll answer by telling you a story. You have
heard of Mr. Blank, of Chicago? He was an immense loafer in his way--in
fact, never did anything in his life. One day he got crazy over a great
rise in the price of wheat, upon which many wheat speculators gained
large fortunes. Blank started off one morning to one of the most
successful of the wheat speculators, and, with much enthusiasm, laid
before him a plan by which he (the said Blank) was certain of becoming
independently rich. When he had finished he asked the opinion of his
hearer upon his plan of operations. The reply came as follows: ‘I advise
you to stick to your business.’ ‘But,’ asked Blank, ‘what is my
business?’ ‘I don’t know, I’m sure, what it is,’ said the merchant, ‘but
whatever it is, I advise you to stick to it.’
“And now,” said Mr. Lincoln, “I mean nothing offensive, for I know you
mean well, but I think you had better stick to your business, and leave
the war to those who have the responsibility of managing it.”
It is said that Mr. Gladstone, the English premier, is known for his
skill in chopping wood. The following anecdote shows that President
Lincoln also was not without experience in the same direction:
During one of the last visits that he made to James River, a short time
before the capture of Richmond, he spent some time in walking around
among the hospitals, and in visiting various fatigue parties at work in
putting up cabins and other buildings.
He came upon one squad who were cutting logs for a house; and chatting a
moment with the hardy woodsmen, asked one of them to let him take his
axe. Mr. Lincoln grasped the helve with the easy air of one perfectly
familiar with the tool, and remarked that he used to be “good on the
chop.”
The President then let in on a big log, making the chips fly, and making
as smooth a cut as the best lumberman in Maine could do.
Meantime, the men crowded round to see the work; and, as he handed back
the axe, and walked away with a pleasant joke, the choppers gave him
three as hearty cheers as he ever heard in the whole of his political
career.