Lincoln states that the community among whom he was brought up would
have hailed him as a wizard who spoke the dead tongues; and, granting
his legal studies made him familiar with Latin as lawyers use it, he
carefully avoided those hurdles of the classic orator, Latin
quotations. Nevertheless, we have an exception to what would have
pleased Lord Byron--the poet thought we have had enough of the
classics. The President, spying Secretary Stanton, of the War
Department, inadvertently striking an imposing attitude in the doorway
of the telegraph-office in the Executive House, without knowing the
President was here, at the desk, suddenly was aroused by hearing the
jocose hail:
"Good evening, _Mars_!"--(Certified by Mr. A. B. Chandler, manager of
the postal telegraph, War Department.)
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