In 1863 President Lincoln went out to condole with the beaten
Unionists, whom General Hooker had led fatally against Lee at
Chancellorsville. Lincoln took his little son "Tad" with him. Amid the
cheering one of the soldiers plainly voiced a terrible grievance--just
when the sufferers were mostly in need of necessaries, the pay was
behindhand. So one cried: "Send along more 'greenbacks,' Father
Abraham!"
The boy was puzzled, but his companion explained that the soldiers
wanted their money due. The hearer thought this over for a moment, and
then pertly said: "Why don't 'Governor' Chase print some more?"
* * * * *
"THERE IS MUCH IN AN 'IF' AND A 'BUT.'"
Mr. Tinkler, telegraph-operator of the cipher telegrams at Washington,
in the Executive residence, took the despatch announcing the nomination
of Andrew Jackson, of Tennessee, to the vice-presidency with Lincoln
for the second term. The latter read it carefully, and _thought aloud:_
"Well, I thought possibly that he might be the man; but--"
He passed out of the office, leaving the hearer impressed. Indeed, it
was a prophecy of the future--poor, inebriate Andy--not the Handy Andy,
but the Merry Andrew of the fag-end of the lamentably sundered second
term. Charles A. Dana, editing the New York _Sun_, printed this
drop-line, and said it was a proof that Lincoln had no hand in his Vice
being proposed or nominated.
* * * * *