Page images
PDF
EPUB

wills it to continue until all the wealth piled up by two hundred years of bondage shall have been wasted, and each drop of blood drawn by the lash shall have been paid for, by one drawn by the sword, we must still say, as was said three thousand years ago, the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.'

"For the first time in my life, and I suppose the first time in any colored man's life, I attended the reception of President Lincoln on the evening of the inauguration. As I approached the door I was seized by two policemen and forbidden to enter. I said to them that they were mistaken entirely in what they were doing, that if Mr. Lincoln knew that I was at the door he would order my admission, and I bolted in by them. On the inside I was taken in charge of two other policemen, to be conducted as I supposed to the President, but instead of that they were conducting me out of the window on a plank.

"Oh,” said I, "this will not do, gentlemen," and as a gentleman was passing in I said to him, "Just say to Mr. Lincoln that Fred. Douglass is at the door."

"He rushed in to President Lincoln, and in about half a minute I was invited into the East Room of the White House. A perfect sea of beauty and elegance, too, it was. The ladies were in very fine attire, and Mrs. Lincoln was standing there. I could not have been more than ten feet from him when Mr. Lincoln saw me; his countenance lighted up, and he said in a voice which was heard all around: 'Here comes my friend Douglass.' As I approached him he reached out

his hand, gave a cordial shake, and said: 'Douglass, I saw you in the crowd to-day listening to my inaugural address. There is no man's opinion that I value more than yours: what do you think of it?' I said: "Mr. Head Quarters Armies of the United States.

dient. Gen. Grane.

City Point, Apul). 11. Am. 1565

Gew. Shendon says "If the thing

is pressed I think that Lee will surrender." Let the thing be pressed.

ALincoles

[ocr errors]

original dishatet suit by Mr. Lincoln, to me, Aph 791865.

The Famous Last Dispatch of Lincoln to Grant with appended statement by Grant, certifying to its genuineness.

Lincoln, I cannot stop here to talk with you, as there are thousands waiting to shake you by the hand;" but he said again again: 'What did you think of it?' I said: "Mr. Lincoln, it was a sacred effort," and then I walked off. 'I am glad you liked it,' he said. That was the last time I saw him to speak with him."

LINCOLN AND REPORTERS.

Joseph Medill, the veteran editor of the Chicago Trib

une, who was one of the corps of reporters, who followed Lincoln in the great debates with Douglas, tells the following story:

"You will remember that after Lincoln had been nominated he was asked to speak at Cooper Union, in New York. The eastern people knew nothing about him and they desired to see and hear him. Lincoln prepared a speech and gave copies to quite a number of us, requesting that we study it carefully and make such corrections. and suggestions as we saw fit. Well, I took my copy and went over it very carefully, and finally made about forty changes. The others to whom the address had been submitted were equally careful, and they made several amendments. When the speech was finally delivered it was exactly word for word with the original copy which Lincoln gave us. Not a change suggested had been adopted. I never knew whether Lincoln intended to play a joke on us, or whether he really believed that the alterations were not effective. I never mentioned the matter to him, and he said nothing more to me. To tell the truth, I was not exactly proud of the part I played in the matter."

LINCOLN'S BRAVERY.

The following story is told by Gen. Butler:

"Lincoln visited my department twice while I was in command. He was personally a very brave man, and gave me the worst fright of my life. He came to my head-quarters and said: 'General, I should like to ride along your lines and see them, and see the boys and how

[graphic]

President Lincoln Visiting the Army of the Potomac, September, 1862. Being Received by Gen. Geo. B. McClellan.

they are situated in camp.' I said, "Very well, we will go after breakfast."

"I happened to have a very tall, easy-riding, pacing horse, and as the President was rather long legged, I tendered him the use of him, while I rode beside him He

[graphic]

on a pony.
was dressed,as was
his custom, in a
black suit, a swal-
low-tail coat, and
tall silk hat. As
there rode on the
other side of him

at first, Mr. Fox,

the Secretary of

the Navy, who was

Gen. Geo. B. McClellan, Commander of the Army

of the Potomac.

Born 1826. Died 1865.

not more than five feet six inches in height, he stood out as a central figure of the group. cers and orderly were behind.

Of course the staff offi

"When we got to the line of intrenchment, from which the line of rebel pickets was not more than three hundred yards, he towered high above the works, and as we came to the several encampments the boys all turned out and cheered him lustily. Of course the enemy's attention was wholly directed to this performance, and with the glass it could be plainly seen that the eyes of their offi

« PreviousContinue »