my memories of eighty years-第12章

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　found　the　secretary　most　cordial　and　charming。

〃Mr。　Secretary；　what　do　you　desire？〃　　he　asked。　　I　stated　the　case　as　I　had　many　times　before；　and　he　gave　a　peremptory　order　to　one　of　his　staff　that　I　should　receive　the　documents　in　time　for　me　to　leave　Washington　on　the　midnight　train。

The　magical　transformation　was　the　result　of　a　personal　visit　of　President　Lincoln　to　the　secretary　of　war。　　Mr。　Lincoln　carried　the　State　of　New　York　by　a　majority　of　only　6；749；　and　it　was　a　soldiers'　vote　that　gave　him　the　Empire　State。

The　compensations　of　my　long　delay　in　Washington　trying　to　move　the　War　Department　were　the　opportunity　it　gave　me　to　see　Mr。　Lincoln；　to　meet　the　members　of　the　Cabinet；　to　become　intimate　with　the　New　York　delegation　in　Congress；　and　to　hear　the　wonderful　adventures　and　stories　so　numerous　in　Washington。

The　White　House　of　that　time　had　no　executive　offices　as　now；　and　the　machinery　for　executive　business　was　very　primitive。　The　east　half　of　the　second　story　had　one　large　reception…room；　in　which　the　president　could　always　be　found；　and　a　few　rooms　adjoining　for　his　secretaries　and　clerks。　　The　president　had　very　little　protection　or　seclusion。　　In　the　reception…room；　which　was　always　crowded　at　certain　hours；　could　be　found　members　of　Congress；　office…seekers；　and　an　anxious　company　of　fathers　and　mothers　seeking　pardons　for　their　sons　condemned　for　military　offenses；　or　asking　permission　to　go　to　the　front；　where　a　soldier　boy　was　wounded　or　sick。　　Every　one　wanted　something　and　wanted　it　very　bad。　　The　patient　president；　wearied　as　he　was　with　cares　of　state；　with　the　situation　on　several　hostile　fronts；　with　the　exigencies　in　Congress　and　jealousies　in　his　Cabinet；　patiently　and　sympathetically　listened　to　these　tales　of　want　and　woe。　　My　position　was　unique。　　I　was　the　only　one　in　Washington　who　personally　did　not　want　anything；　my　mission　being　purely　in　the　public　interest。

I　was　a　devoted　follower　of　Mr。　Seward；　the　secretary　of　state；　and　through　the　intimacies　with　officers　in　his　department　I　learned　from　day　to　day　the　troubles　in　the　Cabinet；　so　graphically　described　in　the　diary　of　the　secretary　of　the　navy　Gideon　Welles。

The　antagonism　between　Mr。　Seward　and　Mr。　Chase；　the　secretary　of　the　treasury；　though　rarely　breaking　out　in　the　open；　was　nevertheless　acute。　　Mr。　Seward　was　devoted　to　the　president　and　made　every　possible　effort　to　secure　his　renomination　and　election。　Mr。　Chase　was　doing　his　best　to　prevent　Mr。　Lincoln's　renomination　and　secure　it　for　himself。

No　president　ever　had　a　Cabinet　of　which　the　members　were　so　independent；　had　so　large　individual　followings；　and　were　so　inharmonious。　　The　president's　sole　ambition　was　to　secure　the　ablest　men　in　the　country　for　the　departments　which　he　assigned　to　them　without　regard　to　their　loyalty　to　himself。　　One　of　Mr。　Seward's　secretaries　would　frequently　report　to　me　the　acts　of　disloyalty　or　personal　hostility　on　the　part　of　Mr。　Chase　with　the　lament：　　〃The　old　manmeaning　Lincolnknows　all　about　it　and　will　not　do　a　thing。〃

I　had　a　long　and　memorable　interview　with　the　president。　　As　I　stepped　from　the　crowd　in　his　reception…room；　he　said　to　me：　〃What　do　you　want？〃　　I　answered：　　〃Nothing；　Mr。　President；　I　only　came　to　pay　my　respects　and　bid　you　good…by；　as　I　am　leaving　Washington。〃　　〃It　is　such　a　luxury；〃　he　then　remarked；　〃to　find　a　man　who　does　not　want　anything。　　I　wish　you　would　wait　until　I　get　rid　of　this　crowd。〃

When　we　were　alone　he　threw　himself　wearily　on　a　lounge　and　was　evidently　greatly　exhausted。　　Then　he　indulged；　rocking　backward　and　forward；　in　a　reminiscent　review　of　different　crises　in　his　administration；　and　how　he　had　met　them。　　In　nearly　every　instance　he　had　carried　his　point；　and　either　captured　or　beaten　his　adversaries　by　a　story　so　apt；　so　on　all　fours；　and　such　complete　answers　that　the　controversy　was　over。　　I　remember　eleven　of　these　stories；　each　of　which　was　a　victory。

In　regard　to　this　story…telling；　he　said：　　〃I　am　accused　of　telling　a　great　many　stories。　　They　say　that　it　lowers　the　dignity　of　the　presidential　office；　but　I　have　found　that　plain　people　（repeating　with　emphasis　plain　people）；　take　them　as　you　find　them；　are　more　easily　influenced　by　a　broad　and　humorous　illustration　than　in　any　other　way；　and　what　the　hypercritical　few　may　think；　I　don't　care。〃

In　speaking　Mr。　Lincoln　had　a　peculiar　cadence　in　his　voice；　caused　by　laying　emphasis　upon　the　key…word　of　the　sentence。　　In　answer　to　the　question　how　he　knew　so　many　anecdotes；　he　answered：　〃I　never　invented　story；　but　I　have　a　good　memory　and；　I　think；　tell　one　tolerably　well。　　My　early　life　was　passed　among　pioneers　who　had　the　courage　and　enterprise　to　break　away　from　civilization　and　settle　in　the　wilderness。　　The　things　which　happened　to　these　original　people　and　among　themselves　in　their　primitive　conditions　were　far　more　dramatic　than　anything　invented　by　the　professional　story…tellers。　　For　many　years　I　travelled　the　circuit　as　a　lawyer；　and　usually　there　was　only　one　hotel　in　the　county　towns　where　court　was　held。　　The　judge；　the　grand　and　petit　juries；　the　lawyers；　the　clients；　and　witnesses　would　pass　the　night　telling　exciting　or　amusing　occurrences；　and　these　were　of　infinite　variety　and　interest。〃　　He　was　always　eager　for　a　new　story　to　add　to　his　magazine　of　ammunition　and　weapons。

One　night　when　there　was　a　reception　at　the　executive　mansion　Rufus　F。　Andrews；　surveyor　of　the　port　of　New　York；　and　I　went　there　together。　　Andrews　was　a　good　lawyer　and　had　been　a　correspondent　in　New　York　of　Mr。　Lincoln；　while　he　was　active　at　the　bar　in　Illinois。　　He　was　a　confidential　adviser　of　the　president　on　New　York　matters　and　frequently　at　the　executive　mansion。　　As　the　procession　moved　past　the　president　he　stopped　Andrews　and；　leaning　over；　spoke　very　confidentially　to　him。　The　conversation　delayed　the　procession　for　some　time。　　When　Andrews　and　I　returned　to　the　hotel；　our　rooms　were　crowded　with　newspaper　men　and　politicians　wanting　to　know　what　the　confidential　conversation　was　about。　　Andrews　made　a　great　mystery　of　it　and　so　did　the　press。　　He　explained　to　me　when　we　were　alone　that　during　his　visit　to　the　president　the　night　before　he　told　the　president　a　new　story。　　The　president　delayed　him　at　the　reception；　saying：　〃Andrews；　I　forgot　the　point　of　that　story　you　told　me　last　night；　repeat　it　now。〃

While　Mr。　Lincoln　had　the　most　logical　of　minds　and　his　letters　and　speeches　on　political　controversies　were　the　most　convincing　of　any　statesman　of　his　period；　he　rarely　would　enter　into　a　long　discussion　in　conversation；　he　either　would　end　the　argument　by　an　apt　story　or　illustration　enforcing　his　ideas。

John　Ganson；　of　Buffalo；　was　the　leader　of　the　bar　in　western　New　York。　　Though　elected　to　the　House　of　Representatives　as　a　Democrat；　he　supported　the　war　measures　of　the　administration。　He　was　a　gentleman　of　the　old　school；　of　great　dignity；　and　always　immaculately　dressed。　　He　was　totally　bald　and　his　face　also　devoid　of　hair。　　It　was　a　gloomy　period　of　the　war　and　the　reports　from　the　front　very　discouraging。　　Congressman　Ganson　felt　it　his　duty　to　see　the　president　about　the　state　of　the　country。　　He　made　a　formal　call　and　said　to　Mr。　Lincoln：　　〃Though　I　am　a　Democrat；　I　imperil　my　political　future　by　supporting　your　war　measures。　I　can　understand　that　secrecy　may　be　necessary　in　miIitary　operations；　but　I　think　I　am　entitled　to　know　the　exact　conditions；　good　or　bad；　at　the　front。〃

Mr。　Lincoln　looked　at　him　earnestly　for　a　minute　and　then　said：　〃Ganson；　how　clean　you　shave！〃　　That　ended　the　interview。

The　first　national　convention　I　ever　attended　was　held　in　Baltimore　in　1864；　when　Mr。　Lincoln　was　renominated。　　I　have　since　been　four　times　a　delegate…at…large；　representing　the　whole　State；　and　many　times　a　delegate　representing　a　congressional　district。　　Judge　W。　H。　Robertson；　of　Westchester　County；　and　I　went　to　the　convention　together。　　We　thought　we　would　go　by　sea；　but　our　ship　had　a　collision；　and　we　were　rescued　by　a　pilot　boat。　　Returning　to　New　York；　we　decided　to　accept　the　security　of　the　railroad。　Judge　Robertson　was　one　of　the　shrewdest　and　ablest　of　the　Republican　politician