Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 234, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 October 1915 — Lincoln the Magnanhmous [ARTICLE]

Lincoln the Magnanhmous

In John Hay's diary, published in Harper’s Magazine, Hay tells of Lincoln's extraordinary magnanimous attitude toward Salmon P. Chase, who was his chief competitor tor the Republication nomination. "His chief competitor for the Republican nomination was % member of his own Cabinet, Salmon P. Chase, the Secretary of the Treasury. Although Lincoln knew of Chase’s Intrigues, he apparently did nothing to thwart them. Hay, on returning from a trip to New York, told theiPresident what he had. heard there of Chase’* efforts ‘in trying to cut under* for the Republican nomination. "‘(Lincoln sal*) It was very bad taste, but he had determined to shut his eyes to all these performances; that Chase had made a good Secretary, and that hd would keep him where be Is. “If he becomes President, all right! I hope we may never have a worse man. I have all along seen clearly his plan of strengthening himself. Whenever he sees that an important matter is troubling me, if I am compelled to decide it in a way to give offense to a man <of some' influence, he always ranges himself in opposition to me and persuades the victim that . he (Chase) would havfc. arranged it veiy differently. It was with General Fremont; with General Hunter, when I annulled his hasty proclamation; with General Butler, when he was recalled from New Orleans; with the Missouri people, when they called the other day. lam entirely indifferent to his success or failure lo these schemes so long as he does his duty as the head of the Treasury Department.”

“Magnanimity such as £hls has had few parallels. l’t would be unthinkable In tha case of a Richelieu or a Frederick or a Bismarck. "Lincoln continued to appoint, at .. Chase’s suggestion, officials who would work in Chase’s interest. When Hay remonstrated, ’he laughed, and said he was sorry the thing had begun, for, .though the matter did not annoy him, his friends Insisted that It ought to.’ But by an adroit turn of the tables the President, supporting Seward in the raid which the Senate made on Seward, caused the petuous Chase to resign. Chase supposed that he-would thereby bring the President to terms. Par from It. “ • "When Chase sent In his resignation (the ‘backwoods Jupiter* said to Hay) I saw that the game was in my own bands, and I pat it through. When I had settled this Important business at last with much labor and to my entire ’ satisfaction, into my ' room one day walked D. D. Field and G. Opdyke, and began a new attack upon me to remove Seward. For once In my life I rather gave my temper the rein, and I talked to those men pretty damned plainly. T)pdyke may be right in being cool to me. I may have given him reason this morning." (October 30, 1833.)’"

The First Record of a Famous Lincoln Saying In John Hay’s diary, written when he was Lincoln's secretary and published for the first tlmq in Harper’s Magazine, appears the first record of one •of* Lincoln's' most famous sayings: “‘The President tonight (December 23, 1863) bad a dream,’ writes Hay. ‘He was in a party of plain people, and as it became known who he was they began to comment on his appearance. One of them said, "He Is s very com-mon-looking man.” The President replied: ‘The Lord prefers commonlooking people. That Is the reason He makes so many of them.’ " “Under date of September 23, 1862, we have a still more memorable entry: “ ‘The President wrote the (Emancipation) Proclamation on Sunday morning (September 21st) carefully. He called the Cabinet together on Mondhy, September 22d, made a little talk to them and read the momentous document Mr. Blair and Mr. Bates made objections, otherwise the Cabinet unanimous. The next day Mr. Blair, who had promised to file his objections, sent- a note stating that, as his objections were only to the time of the act, he would not file them lest they should be subject to misconstruction. ” T told the President of the serenade that was coining end asked if he would make any remarks. He said no; bat he did say half a dozen words, and said them Vith great grace and dignity. I spoke to him about the editorials In the leading papers. He said he had studied die matter so long that he knew more, about It than they did. '“At Governor's Chase’s there was some W*rtog after the serenade. Chase and Clay made speeches, and the crowd was In a glorious humor. After the crowd went sway, to force Mr. Mates (Attorney-General) to say something; a few old fogies stayed at the Governor's and drank wine. • • * They all seemed to feel a sort of new and exhilarated life; they breathed freer; the President’s Proclamation had freed them all as well as the slaves. They gleefully and merrily calld one another and themselves Abolitionists, and seemed to enjoy the novel accusation of appropriating that horrible name.’”

A Peer School It was Richard’s first day at school. At noon he rushed into the house, picked up the treasured funny page of the paper and scanned it with eager antldoatlon In bis face. A moment later he thxww tt dowa and in a tone TlSS'w rotten eehooL” “Why; Richard?” exclaimed his astonished motbesh “Whet do yes say that for?” “WbH, Paa bsee t# It a whole half toy and I aiat loomed to read yet"