The Lincoln Story Book Part 27

"CABINET" TALK.

Like all persons whose early life was pa.s.sed in seclusion from the exhibitions common in society eager for anything to animate jaded nerves, Mr. Lincoln at Was.h.i.+ngton sought distractions in his brief intervals for them. One of the _shows_ he tolerated--he called all sights so--was the seances of Charles E. Shockle--"Phoebus!

what a name!" This medium came to the capital in 1863, under eminent auspices, and the President and his wife, members of the Cabinet, and other first citizens were induced to patronize the illusions.

The spirits were irreverent, "pinching Stanton's and plucking Welles'

beard." As for the President, a rapping at his feet announced an Indian eager "to communicate."

"Well, sir," said the President, "happy to hear what his Indian majesty has to say. We have recently had a deputation of the red Indians, and it was the only deputation, black, white, or red, which did not volunteer advice about the conduct of the war!"

The writing-under-cover trick was played. A paper covered with Mr.

Stanton's handkerchief was found before the President, scrawled with marks interpreted as advice for action, by Henry Knox--no one knew him--but the lecturer said he was the first secretary of war in the Revolution. The recipient said it was not Indian talk!

He transferred it to Mr. Stanton as concerning his province. He asked for General Knox's forecast as to when the rebellion would be put down. The reply was a jumble of wild truisms purporting to be from great spirits, from Was.h.i.+ngton to Wilberforce.

"Well," exclaimed the President, "opinions differ as much among the saints as among the--ahem--sinners!" He glanced at the _cabinet_ whence the materialized specters were to emerge if called upon, and added: "The celestials' talk and advice sound very much like the talk of _my_ Cabinet!"

He called for Stephen A. Douglas, as his dearest friend, [Footnote: Stephen Arnold Douglas was so patriotic at the Rebellion's outbreak that Lincoln forgave him all the politically, hostile past.

Douglas held his new silk hat--Lincoln's abhorrence--at the first inauguration. Douglas left the field for home, where he a.s.sisted in raising the first volunteer levy by his eloquence.] to speak, if not appear. The reporter affirms that a voice like the lamented "Little Giant's" was heard and if others thought they recognized it the President must have been more affected than he allowed. But the eloquent statesman also breathed plat.i.tudes in which the ill.u.s.trious auditor said he believed, "whether it comes from spirit or human."

Here Mr. Shockle became prostrated, and Mrs. Lincoln compa.s.sionately suggested an adjournment. The Spiritualists did not see the sarcasm in Mr. Lincoln's remarks, and claim that he was not only a convert, but that he was himself a medium. [Footnote: There is serious evidence for this fact; he was, at all events, a Spiritualist. See _Was Lincoln a Spiritualist?_ By Mrs. Nettie Colburn Maynard (1891).]

ON THE BLISTER-BENCH.

At the taking of Elizabeth City, North Carolina, 1862, the steamer _Valley City_ was saved from blowing up by a gunner's-mate. This John Davis coolly sat on a powder-keg from which the top had been shot off, and was so found by an officer, who hastily censured him for his loafing--"b.u.mming" during recess. But, on the reason for his taking his seat being pointed out, Davis was recommended for promotion.

In countersigning the papers ent.i.tling him to the rank of gunner, at a thousand a year for life, the President mock-solemnly observed:

"Metaphorically, we occupy the same position; _we_ are sitting on the powder under fire!"

"ABE, A THUNDERING OLD GLORY!"

Ex-Registrar Chittenden tells the following incident. It was the 14th of April, 1865. Captain Robert Lincoln, on General Grant's staff, had brought the details of the victory of Appomattox, and the gratified chief had pa.s.sed the day with the Cabinet revolving those plans of reconstruction which amazed all the world by their exclusion of all bitterness and retaliation. He was coming down the White House stairway to take his accustomed ride in the carriage when he heard a soldier in the waiting crowd say:

"I would almost give my other hand (he was one-armed) if I could shake Abe Lincoln's hand!"

Lincoln confronted him. "You shall do that, and it shall cost you nothing!" interrupted the revivified President, grasping the lone hand, and, while he held it, he asked the man's name, regiment, etc.

The happy soldier, in telling of this meeting, would end: "I tell you, boys, Abe Lincoln is a thundering Old Glory!"

PERFECT RETALIATION.

The more apparent it was that inconsistency reigned ins the Lincolnian Cabinet, the more earnestly the marplots strove to incite them individually against one another and their head. A speculator who had induced the latter to oblige him with a permit to trade in cotton reported with zest how Secretary Stanton had no sooner seen the paper than, instead of countersigning, he tore up the leaf without respect even for the august signature. Stanton was famous for irascibility.

And he did not forbear to manifest it toward all, even to the President. But, as the latter observed, hot or cold, Stanton is generally right. This time he was not sorry at heart for the reproof as to his allowing a signal favor which might work harm. But, affecting rage, he blurted out:

"Oh, he tore my paper, did he? Go and tell Stanton that I will tear up a dozen of _his_ papers before Sat.u.r.day night!"

LET DOWN THE BARS A LEETLE.

One of the mischief-makers abounding in Was.h.i.+ngton, and doing more harm than all the rebel calumniators, hastened to repeat to the President that the secretary of war had plainly called him a "d---d fool!"

"You don't say so? This wants looking into. For, if Stanton called me that, it must be true!--for he is nearly every time right!" He took his seat, and excused himself, jerking out as he stalked forth, glad to be quit of the pest:

"I will step over and see him!"

He was going to have the bars let down "a leetle."

"THE ADMINISTRATION CAN STAND IT IF THE TIMES CAN."

Mrs. Hugh McCulloch and Mrs. Dole (Indian Commissioner) went to Mrs.

Lincoln's reception. The host expressed constant gladness to see the ladies, as "they asked no offices."

Mrs. McCulloch protested that she did want something.

"I want you to suppress the Chicago _Times_ because it does nothing but abuse the Administration."

McCulloch was in the treasury.

"Oh, tut, tut! We must not abridge the liberties of: the press or the people! [Footnote: The suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act, 1863, was sorely against the President's sentiments, fond of liberty himself and fixed on const.i.tutional rule--but he bowed to the inevitable.

Nevertheless, he softened the rod, and many imprisoned under the edict were never brought to trial.] But never mind the Chicago _Times_!

The Administration can stand it, if the _Times_ can."

BOTTLING THAT WASP.

It was confidently forethought by the numerous admirers of Governor Seward--who escaped being the President by a political combination and not want of supreme merit--that he would in the Cabinet, whatever nominally his post, be the ruling spirit. Not a man suspected that the plain man of the prairie could develop into the lord of the manor, and put and keep not only the able and cultured Seward, but the turbulent Stanton and the obstreperous Chase, in their places. The pettifogger of the West simply expanded, like its sunflower, in the fierce white light around the chair, and was the lion, among the lesser creatures.

Seward raised his hand early. Within a month he had the impertinent fatuity to lay before his superior a paper suggesting the policy, and moving that the President might commit to him, the secretary, the carrying out of that policy! With gentle courtesy--says General Viele--Lincoln took the paper from the author and popped it into his portfolio. He had no policy, and did not want another's. He had bottled his wasp. Seward was obedient as the spaniel. His powers were recognized by the villains who comprised him in the detestable plot.