my memories of eighty years-第11章

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r　treason。　　On　this　question　of　maintaining　his　parole　and　his　military　honor　General　Grant　was　inflexible；　and　said　he　would　appeal　not　only　to　Congress　but　to　the　country。

One　day　a　delegation；　consisting　of　the　most　eminent；　politically；　socially；　and　in　family　descent；　of　the　Southern　leaders；　went　to　the　White　House。　　They　said：　　〃Mr。　President；　we　have　never　recognized　you；　as　you　belong　to　an　entirely　different　class　from　ourselves；　but　it　is　the　rule　of　all　countries　and　in　all　ages　that　supreme　power　vested　in　the　individual　raises　him；　no　matter　what　his　origin；　to　supreme　leadership。　　You　are　now　President　of　the　United　States；　and　by　virtue　of　your　office　our　leader；　and　we　recognize　you　as　such。〃　　Then　followed　attention　from　these　people　whom　he　admired　and　envied；　as　well　as　hated；　of　hospitality　and　deference；　of　which　they　were　past　masters。　It　captivated　him　and　changed　his　whole　attitude　towards　them。

He　sent　for　General　Grant　and　said　to　him：　　〃The　war　is　over　and　there　should　be　forgiveness　and　reconciliation。　　I　propose　to　call　upon　all　of　the　States　recently　in　rebellion　to　send　to　Washington　their　United　States　senators　and　members　of　the　House；　the　same　as　they　did　before　the　war。　　If　the　present　Congress　will　not　admit　them；　a　Congress　can　be　formed　of　these　Southern　senators　and　members　of　the　House　and　of　such　Northern　senators　and　representatives　as　will　believe　that　I　am　right　and　acting　under　the　Constitution。　　As　President　of　the　United　States；　I　will　recognize　that　Congress　and　communicate　with　them　as　such。　As　general　of　the　army　I　want　your　support。〃　　General　Grant　replied：　〃That　will　create　civil　war；　because　the　North　will　undoubtedly　recognize　the　Congress　as　it　now　exists；　and　that　Congress　will　assert　itself　in　every　way　possible。〃　　〃In　that　case；〃　said　the　president；　〃I　want　the　to　support　the　constitutional　Congress　which　I　am　recognizing。〃　　General　Grant　said：　　〃On　the　contrary；　so　far　as　my　authority　goes；　the　army　will　support　the　Congress　as　it　is　now　and　disperse　the　other。〃　　President　Johnson　then　ordered　General　Grant　to　Mexico　on　a　mission；　and　as　he　had　no　power　to　send　a　general　of　the　army　out　of　the　United　States；　Grant　refused　to　go。

Shortly　afterwards　Grant　received　a　very　confidential　communication　from　General　Sherman；　stating　that　he　had　been　ordered　to　Washington　to　take　command　of　the　army；　and　wanted　to　know　what　it　meant。　General　Grant　explained　the　situation；　whereupon　General　Sherman　announced　to　the　president　that　he　would　take　exactly　the　same　position　as　General　Grant　had。　　The　president　then　dropped　the　whole　subject。



III。　　ABRAHAM　LINCOLN

The　secretaryship　of　the　State　of　New　York　is　a　very　delightful　office。　　Its　varied　duties　are　agreeable；　and　the　incumbent　is　brought　in　close　contact　with　the　State　administration；　the　legislature；　and　the　people。

We　had　in　the　secretary　of　state's　office　at　the　time　I　held　the　office；　about　fifty…eight　years　ago；　very　interesting　archives。　The　office　had　been　the　repository　of　these　documents　since　the　organization　of　the　government。　　Many　years　afterwards　they　were　removed　to　the　State　Library。　　Among　these　documents　were　ten　volumes　of　autograph　letters　from　General　Washington　to　Governor　Clinton　and　others；　covering　the　campaign　on　the　Hudson　in　the　effort　by　the　enemy　to　capture　West　Point；　the　treason　of　Arnold　and　nearly　the　whole　of　the　Revolutionary　War。　　In　the　course　of　years　before　these　papers　were　removed　to　the　State　Library；　a　large　part　of　them　disappeared。　　It　was　not　the　fault　of　the　administration　succeeding　me；　but　it　was　because　the　legisIature；　in　its　effort　to　economize；　refused　to　make　appropriation　for　the　proper　care　of　these　invaluable　historic　papers。　　Most　of　Washington's　letters　were　written　entirely　in　his　own　hand；　and　one　wonders　at　the　phenomenal　industry　which　enabled　him　to　do　so　much　writing　while　continuously　and　laboriously　engaged　in　active　campaigning。

In　view　of　the　approaching　presidential　election；　the　legislature　passed　a　law；　which　was　signed　by　the　governor；　providing　machinery　for　the　soldiers'　vote。　　New　York　had　at　that　time　between　three　and　four　hundred　thousand　soldiers　in　the　field；　who　were　scattered　in　companies；　regiments；　brigades；　and　divisions　all　over　the　South。　This　law　made　it　the　duty　of　the　secretary　of　state　to　provide　ballots；　to　see　that　they　reached　every　unit　of　a　company；　to　gather　the　votes　and　transmit　them　to　the　home　of　each　soldier。　　The　State　government　had　no　machinery　by　which　this　work　could　be　done。　I　applied　to　the　express　companies；　but　all　refused　on　the　ground　that　they　were　not　equipped。　　I　then　sent　for　old　John　Butterfield；　who　was　the　founder　of　the　express　business　but　had　retired　and　was　living　on　his　farm　near　Utica。　　He　was　intensely　patriotic　and　ashamed　of　the　lack　of　enterprise　shown　by　the　express　companies。　He　said　to　me：　　〃If　they　cannot　do　this　work　they　ought　to　retire。〃　He　at　once　organized　what　was　practically　an　express　company；　taking　in　all　those　in　existence　and　adding　many　new　features　for　the　sole　purpose　of　distributing　the　ballots　and　gathering　the　soldiers'　votes。　　It　was　a　gigantic　task　and　successfully　executed　by　this　patriotic　old　gentleman。

Of　course；　the　first　thing　was　to　find　out　where　the　New　York　troops　were；　and　for　that　purpose　I　went　to　Washington；　remaining　there　for　several　months　before　the　War　Department　would　give　me　the　information。　　The　secretary　of　war　was　Edwin　M。　Stanton。　It　was　perhaps　fortunate　that　the　secretary　of　war　should　not　only　possess　extraordinary　executive　ability；　but　be　also　practically　devoid　of　human　weakness；　that　he　should　be　a　rigid　disciplinarian　and　administer　justice　without　mercy。　　It　was　thought　at　the　time　that　these　qualities　were　necessary　to　counteract；　as　far　as　possible；　the　tender…heartedness　of　President　Lincoln。　　If　the　boy　condemned　to　be　shot；　or　his　mother　or　father；　could　reach　the　president　in　time；　he　was　never　executed。　　The　military　authorities　thought　that　this　was　a　mistaken　charity　and　weakened　discipline。　I　was　at　a　dinner　after　the　war　with　a　number　of　generals　who　had　been　in　command　of　armies。　　The　question　was　asked　one　of　the　most　famous　of　these　generals：　　〃How　did　you　carry　out　the　sentences　of　your　courts　martial　and　escape　Lincoln's　pardons？〃　The　grim　old　warrior　answered：　　〃I　shot　them　first。〃

I　took　my　weary　way　every　day　to　the　War　Department；　but　could　get　no　results。　　The　interviews　were　brief　and　disagreeable　and　the　secretary　of　war　very　brusque。　　The　time　was　getting　short。　I　said　to　the　secretary：　　〃If　the　ballots　are　to　be　distributed　in　time　I　must　have　information　at　once。〃　　He　very　angrily　refused　and　said：　　〃New　York　troops　are　in　every　army；　all　over　the　enemy's　territory。　　To　state　their　location　would　be　to　give　invaluable　information　to　the　enemy。　　How　do　I　know　if　that　information　would　be　so　safeguarded　as　not　to　get　out？〃

As　I　was　walking　down　the　long　corridor；　which　was　full　of　hurrying　officers　and　soldiers　returning　from　the　field　or　departing　for　it；　I　met　Elihu　B。　Washburne；　who　was　a　congressman　from　Illinois　and　an　intimate　friend　of　the　president。　　He　stopped　me　and　said：

〃Hello；　Mr。　Secretary；　you　seem　very　much　troubled。　　Can　I　help　you？〃　I　told　him　my　story。

〃What　are　you　going　to　do？〃　he　asked。　　I　answered：　　〃To　protect　myself　I　must　report　to　the　people　of　New　York　that　the　provision　for　the　soldiers'　voting　cannot　be　carried　out　because　the　administration　refuses　to　give　information　where　the　New　York　soldiers　are　located。〃

〃Why；〃　said　Mr。　Washburne；　〃that　would　beat　Mr。　Lincoln。　　You　don't　know　him。　　While　he　is　a　great　statesman；　he　is　also　the　keenest　of　politicians　alive。　　If　it　could　be　done　in　no　other　way；　the　president　would　take　a　carpet…bag　and　go　around　and　collect　those　votes　himself。　　You　remain　here　until　you　hear　from　me。　　I　will　go　at　once　and　see　the　president。〃

In　about　an　hour　a　staff　officer　stepped　up　to　me　and　asked：　　〃Are　you　the　secretary　of　state　of　New　York？〃　　I　answered　〃Yes。〃　〃The　secretary　of　war　wishes　to　see　you　at　once；〃　he　said。　　I　found　the　secretary　most　cordial　and　charming。

〃Mr。　Secretary；　what　do　you　desire？〃　　he　asked。