Lincoln had cause one man alone to hate:
A fellow-lawyer, lacking in all grace,
Who cast uncalled-for insult in his face
When Lincoln as his colleague, with innate
Courtesy, proffered aid. With pride inflate
The scornful Stanton waved him to his place,
Snapping, "I need no help to try this case";
And "cornfield lawyer" muttered of his mate.
And when, as captain of the Union ship,
Lincoln drew sail before the gathering storm
Till favoring winds the shrouds unfurled should fill,
Stanton again curled his contemptuous lip
And, with the impatience of a patriot warm,
Sneered at the helmsman, "craven imbecile."
Laid was the course at length; the sails untried
Were spread; the raw crew set at spar and coil.
Now round the prow Charybdean waters boil
And ever higher surges war's red tide.
The mate who should the captain's care divide
Has strengthless proved. Where shall, the foe to foil,
A man be found able to bear the toil
And stand, to steer the ship, by Lincoln's side?
Stanton he called! The bitter choice he made
For country, not himself. The ship was driven
By the great twain through war's abyss, again
Into calm seas. Then Lincoln low was laid,
And Stanton paid him highest tribute given
To mortal: "Mightiest leader among men!"
[Illustration: THE DEATH OF LINCOLN
1 President Lincoln. 2 Hon. Gideon Welles, Secretary of the
Navy. 3 John Hay, Esq., President's Private Secretary. 4 Hon.
E. M. Stanton, Secretary of War. 5 Rev. Dr. Gurley. 6 Gen.
Farnsworth, M. C. from Illinois. 7 Governor Ogilsby of Illinois.
8 General Todd. 9 Rufus Andrews, Esq. 10 Hon. W. T. Otto,
Assistant Secretary of the Interior. 11 Hon. W. Denison,
Postmaster-General. 12 Judge D. K. Carter. 13 Major-General
Halleck. 14 Captain Robert Lincoln. 15 Dr. Leale. 16 Hon. Charles
Sumner. 17 Dr. Crane, Assistant Surgeon-General. 18 Governor
Farwell, of Wisconsin. 19 Hon. J. P. Usher, Secretary of the
Interior. 20 Major-General Augur. 21 Major-General Meigs. 22
Maunsel B. Field, Esq. 23 Hon. Schuyler Colfax. 24 Hon. James
Speed, Attorney-General. 25 Hon. H. McCullough, Secretary of the
Treasury 26 Dr. R. K. Stone. 27 Surgeon-General Barnes.]
[Illustration: HOUSE IN WHICH LINCOLN DIED