MR. LINCOLN AT THE HELM.
The unexpected arrival of Mr. Lincoln at Willard's Hotel early on
the morning of Saturday, February 23d, 1861, created quite a
sensation when it became known in Washington. It was not true, as
asserted, that he came in disguise, although he wore a traveling
cap and shawl which had been loaned him, and which very materially
changed his appearance.
Mr. Lincoln felt confident that an attempt was to have been made
to assassinate him as he passed through Baltimore. Among other
statements which confirmed him in this opinion was one by Mr.
Chittenden, of Vermont, afterward Register of the Treasury. Mr.
Chittenden was a delegate from the State of Vermont to the Peace
Congress, then in session, one of the leading Southern members of
which expressed great surprise on learning of Mr. Lincoln's arrival,
and said, "How in the mischief did he get through Baltimore?"
Senator Sumner was also one those who believed that the President-
elect was in danger of assassination, and he wrote him after his
arrival, cautioning him about going out at night. "Sumner," said
Mr. Lincoln, "declined to stand up with me, back to back, to see
which was the taller man, and made a fine speech about this being
the time for uniting our fronts against the enemy and not our backs.
But I guess he was afraid to measure, though he is a good piece of
a man. I have never had much to do with Bishops where I live, but,
do you know, Sumner is my idea of a Bishop."
Mr. Lincoln, after eating his breakfast, made a formal call on
President Buchanan at the White House, accompanied by Mr. Seward.
He then received the members of the Peace Congress, who had formed
in procession in the hall where they met, and moved to the reception
parlor of the hotel. Ex-President Tyler and Governor Chase led
the van. The latter did the honors, first introducing Mr. Tyler.
Mr. Lincoln received him with all the respect due to his position.
The several delegates were then presented by Governor Chase in the
usual manner. The greatest curiosity was manifested to witness
this, Mr. Lincoln's first reception in Washington. The most
noticeable thing that occurred was the manifestation by Mr. Lincoln
of a most wonderful memory. It will be remembered that the Convention
was composed of many men, who, although distinguished in their
time, had not of late been very much known. Each member was
introduced by his surname, but in nine cases out of ten, Mr. Lincoln
would promptly recall their entire name, no matter how many initials
it contained. In several instances he recited the historical
reminiscences of families. When the tall General Doniphan, of
Missouri, was introduced, Mr. Lincoln had to look up to catch
Doniphan's eye. He immediately inquired:
"Is this Doniphan, who made that splendid march across the plains
and swept the swift Comanches before him?"
"I commanded the expedition across the plains," modestly replied
the General.
"Then you have come up to the standard of my expectation," rejoined
Mr. Lincoln.
When Mr. Rives, of Virginia, was introduced, Mr. Lincoln said: "I
always had an idea that you were a much taller man." He received
James B. Clay, son of the Kentucky statesman, with marked attention,
saying to him: "I was a friend of your father." The interchange
of greetings with Mr. Barringer, of North Carolina, who was his
colleague in Congress, was very cordial. When Reverdy Johnson was
presented, he expressed great rejoicing, remarking to him:
"I had to bid you good-bye just at the time when our intimacy had
ripened to a point for me to tell you my stories."
The Southern Commissioners freely expressed their gratification at
his affability and easy manner, and all joined in expressing
agreeable disappointment at his good looks in contrast to his
pictures. Nothing was said to any one in regard to the condition
of the country or the national troubles. After the reception of
the Peace Congress was concluded, a large number of citizens were
presented.
A large number of ladies then passed in review, each being introduced
by the gentleman who accompanied her, and Mr. Lincoln underwent
the new ordeal with much good humor. All that day the hotel was
crowded with members of Congress and others, anxious to see the
President-elect, of whom they had heard so much, and among them
were several newspaper corespondents, who had known him while he
was a member of the House of Representatives. One of the correspondents
who talked with him about his forthcoming message received,
confidentially, the following account of it:
Mr. Lincoln had written his message at his Springfield home, and
had had it put in type by his friend, the local printer. A number
of sentences had been re-constructed several times before they were
entirely satisfactory, and then four copies had been printed on
foolscap paper. These copies had been locked up in what Mr. Lincoln
called a "grip-sack," and intrusted to his oldest son, Robert.
"When we reached Harrisburg," said Mr. Lincoln, "and had washed
up, I asked Bob where the message was, and was taken aback by his
confession that in the excitement caused by the enthusiastic
reception he believed he had let a waiter take the grip-sack. My
heart went up into my mouth, and I started down-stairs, where I
was told that if a waiter had taken the article I should probably
find it in the baggage-room. Hastening to that apartment, I saw
an immense pile of grip-sacks and other baggage and thought that
I had discovered mine. The key fitted it, but on opening there
was nothing inside but a few paper collars and a flask of whisky.
Tumbling the baggage right and left, in a few moments I espied my
lost treasure, and in it the all-important document, all right;
and now I will show it to you--on your honor, mind!" The inaugural
was printed in a clear-sized type, and wherever Mr. Lincoln had
thought that a paragraph would make an impression upon his audience,
he had preceded it with a typographical fist--".
One copy of this printed draft of the inaugural message was given
to Mr. Seward, and another to the venerable Franics P. Blair, with
the request that they would read and criticise. A few unimportant
changes were made, and Mr. Nicolay, who was to be the President's
private secretary, made the corrected copy in a fair hand, which
Mr. Lincoln was to read. Mr. Nicolay corrected another copy, which
was furnished to the press for publication and is now in my
possession.
Mr. Seward had, from the moment that his offered services as
Secretary of State were accepted, acted as chief of the incoming
Administration, and undertook to have a voice in the appointment
of his associates. Mr. Lincoln, however, was determined to make
his own selections. The great contest was for the Treasury
Department, the Pennsylvania Republicans urging the appointment of
Simon Cameron, while Eastern and New York Republicans preferred
Salmon P. Chase. Ohio was not united in the support of Mr. Chase,
but he finally received the appointment, Mr. Cameron going into
the War Department, and Mr. Gideon Welles, of Connecticut, receiving
the Navy Department on the recommendation of Vice-President Hannibal
Hamlin, who was requested to select some one for that position.
The Blair interest was recognized by the appointment of Montgomery
Blair as Postmaster-General, while Edward Bates, of Missouri, whose
name had been mentioned as the Presidential candidate in opposition
to Mr. Lincoln, was made Attorney-General. The Interior Department
was given to Caleb W. Smith, of Indiana.
The preparations for the inauguration of Mr. Lincoln were of an
unusual character. Many believed that an attempt would be made on
that day by the Secessionists to obtain possession of the Government,
and great precautions against this were taken, The ostensible
director was General Scott, who had his head-quarters at a restaurant
near the War Department, and who rode about the city in a low coupe
drawn by a powerful horse. But the real director of the military
operations was Colonel Stone, of the regular army, who had been
organizing the military of the District, and who had a very
respectable force at his command. He had a battalion of the United
States Engineer Corps directly in the rear of the President's
carriage, and sharp-shooters belonging to a German company were
posted on buildings all along the route, with orders to keep a
vigilant watch as the President's carriage approached, and to fire
at any one who might aim a weapon at the President. There was also
a large force of detectives stationed along the route and at the
Capitol.
The procession was a very creditable one, the United States troops
and the District Militia making a fine show, with the Albany Burgess
Corps, and a few organizations from a distance. Mr. Lincoln rode
with President Buchanan, and, on arriving at the Capitol, entered
the Senate Chamber leaning on the old gentleman's arm. After Mr.
Hamlin had taken his oath of office as Vice-President, and several
new Senators had been sworn in, a procession was formed, as usual,
which repaired to the platform erected over the steps of the eastern
portico of the Capitol. When Mr. Lincoln came out he was easily
distinguished as his tall, gaunt figure rose above those around him.
His personal friend, Senator Baker, of Oregon, introduced him to
the assemblage, and as he bowed acknowledgments of the somewhat
faint cheers which greeted him the usual genial smile lit up his
angular countenance. He was evidently somewhat perplexed, just
then, to know what to do with his new silk hat and a large gold-
headed cane. The cane he put under the table, but the hat appeared
to be too good to place on the rough boards. Senator Douglas saw
the embarrassment of his old friend, and, rising, took the shining
hat from its bothered owner and held it during the delivery of the
inaugural address. Mr. Lincoln was listened to with great eagerness.
He evidently desired to convince the multitude before him rather
than to bewilder or dazzle them. It was evident that he honestly
believed every word that he spoke, especially the concluding
paragraphs, one of which I copy from the original print:
""I am loth to close. We are not enemies, but friends. We must
not be enemies. Though passion may be strained, it must not break
our bonds of affection. "The mystic chords of memory which stretch
from every battle-field and patriot grave to every loved heart and
hearthstone, all over our broad land, will yet swell the chorus of
the Union when again touched, as they surely will be, by the better
angels of our nature."
Having closed his address, Mr. Lincoln was escorted to the White
House, where he received the public for an hour, after which the
doors were closed. The new Administration was thus successfully
launched, and the Secretaries went to work to see what remained in
the National coffers, arsenals, navy yards, and armories. The most
important public measures were decided by Mr. Lincoln and one or
two of his Cabinet officers without consultation with the others.
Indeed, as hostilities approached, each member of the Cabinet was
too busily engaged with his own official duties to discuss those
of his colleagues, and Mr. Seward never wanted any criticism on
his management of diplomatic affairs, any more than Mr. Cameron or
Mr. Welles tolerated interference with the conduct of the war.
[Facsimile]
Your friend as ever
A. Lincoln
ABRAHAM LINCOLN was born in Hardin County, Kentucky, February 12th,
1809; was in early life a farmer, a boatman, and a land surveyor,
after which he studied law and practiced at Springfield, Illinois;
was a Representative from Illinois to Congress, 1847-1849; was an
unsuccessful candidate for United States Senator, in opposition to
Stephen A. Douglas, in 1858; was elected President of the United
States in 1860 as a Republican, and was inaugurated March 4th,1861;
issued the first call for troops April 15th, 1861, and the Proclamation
of Emancipation January 1st, 1863; was re-elected President in
1864, and was again inaugurated March 4th, 1865; was assassinated
April 14th, and died April 15th, 1865; he was buried at Springfield,
Illinois.