however bitter and acrimonious a political campaign may have been, the result is usually accepted good-naturedly. the defeated party hopes for better luck next time, and awaits with interest the course of the new executive. but this was not the case after the election which made mr. lincoln president. the south was sullen, the north divided in sentiment. the party that sustained slavery had staked all on the issue of the campaign. they were not disposed to acquiesce in the result. they were quiet, but it was a dangerous quiet. they were biding their time, and meant mischief.
james buchanan was president. he was an old man; cautious to timidity, overawed by the bold, defiant spirits that constituted his cabinet—not seeing, or not caring to see, the evidences of{184} their disloyalty. never did a president long more ardently for his term to close. he saw that a storm was brewing, the like of which the country had never seen. he earnestly hoped that it would not burst till he had laid down the responsibilities of office.
abraham lincoln waited quietly at springfield for the time to come that should separate him from the tranquil course of life he had led hitherto and precipitate him into the maelstrom of political excitement at washington, wherein he was to be the central figure. knowing him as in after years we learned to know him, we can not doubt that at times he felt almost overwhelmed by his coming burdens. it was well, perhaps, that he was not permitted to be too much alone. his attention was distracted by throngs of visitors,—autograph-hunters and office-seekers being the most conspicuous—who consumed a large part of his time.
as this story is written especially for young people, i will venture to transcribe from mr. holland’s “life” two incidents which connected him with children:
“he was holding a reception at the tremont{185} house in chicago. a fond father took in a little boy by the hand who was anxious to see the new president. the moment the child entered the parlor door, he of his own motion, and quite to the surprise of his father, took off his hat, and, giving it a swing, cried, ‘hurrah for lincoln!’ there was a crowd, but as soon as mr. lincoln could get hold of the little fellow, he lifted him in his hands, and, tossing him toward the ceiling, laughingly shouted, ‘hurrah for you!’
“to mr. lincoln it was evidently a refreshing episode in the dreary work of hand-shaking.
“at a party in chicago during this visit, he saw a little girl timidly approaching him. he called her to him, and asked her what she wished for. she replied that she wanted his name. mr. lincoln looked back into the room, and said, ‘but here are other little girls—they would feel badly if i should give my name only to you.’ the little girl replied that there were eight in all. ‘then,’ said mr. lincoln, ‘get me eight sheets of paper and pen and ink and i will see what i can do for you.’ the paper was brought, and mr. lincoln sat down in the crowded drawing-room, and wrote a sentence upon each sheet,{186} appending his name; and thus every little girl carried off her souvenir.”
on the 11th of february, 1861, abraham lincoln left his pleasant western home for the capital. it was to be a leisurely journey, for he would be expected to stop at many points to meet friends and receive friendly greetings. three weeks were to elapse before he would be inaugurated, but, as he bade farewell to his friends and neighbors, he felt that the burden of care had already fallen upon him. how he felt may be understood from the few farewell words which he spoke. as reported by mr. lamon, they are as follows:
“friends:—no one who has never been placed in a like position can understand my feelings at this hour, nor the oppressive sadness i feel at this parting. for more than a quarter of a century i have lived among you, and, during all that time, i have received nothing but kindness at your hands. here i have lived from my youth, until now i am an old man. here the most sacred ties of earth were assumed. here all my children were born, and here one of them lies buried. to you, dear friends, i owe all that i have—all{187} that i am. all the strange, checkered past seems to crowd upon my mind. to-day i leave you. i go to assume a task more difficult than that which devolved upon washington. unless the great god who assisted him shall be with and aid me, i must fail; but, if the same omniscient mind and almighty arm that directed and protected him shall guide and support me, i shall not fail—i shall succeed. let us all pray that the god of our fathers may not forsake us now. to him i commend you all. permit me to ask that, with equal security and faith, you will invoke his wisdom and guidance for me. with these few words, i must leave you; for how long, i know not. friends, one and all, i must now bid you an affectionate farewell.”
i have already alluded to mr. lincoln’s constitutional melancholy inherited from his mother. with it was joined a vein of superstition, which at times darkened the shadow that seemed to hover about him. in this connection, and as an illustration of this characteristic of the president-elect, i quote an interesting reminiscence of john hay, the secretary of mr. lincoln, in the words of his chief:{188}
“it was just after my election in 1860, when the news had been coming in thick and fast all day, and there had been a great ‘hurrah, boys!’ so that i was well tired out, and went home to rest, throwing myself upon a lounge in my chamber. opposite to where i lay was a bureau with a swinging glass upon it; and, in looking in that glass, i saw myself reflected nearly at full length; but my face, i noticed, had two separate and distinct images—the tip of the nose of one being about three inches from the tip of the other. i was a little bothered—perhaps startled, and got up and looked in the glass, but the illusion vanished. on lying down again i saw it a second time—plainer, if possible, than before; and then i noticed that one of the faces was a little paler—say, five shades—than the other. i got up, and the thing melted away; and i went off, and in the excitement of the hour forgot all about it—nearly, but not quite; for the thing would once in a while come up and give me a little pang, as if something uncomfortable had happened. when i went home, i told my wife about it; and a few days after, i tried the experiment again—when, sure enough, the thing came back again; but i{189} never succeeded in bringing back the ghost after that, though i once tried very industriously to show it to my wife, who was worried about it somewhat. she thought it was a ‘sign’ that i was to be elected to a second term of office, and that the paleness of one of the faces was an omen that i should not see life through the last term.”
mrs. lincoln’s impression was curiously correct, as it turned out; but we must set it down as a singular coincidence, and nothing more. campbell, in one of his spirited lyrics, tells us that “coming events cast their shadows before”; but it is hardly likely that in this case god should have sent the president-elect a premonition of the fate which was to overtake him some years later. it is better to consider that the vision had a natural cause in the rumors of assassination which were even then rife on account of the bitter feeling excited by the election of a republican president. such rumors had been brought to mr. lincoln himself, and he had been urged to take measures against assassination. but he considered them useless. “if they want to kill me,” he said, “there is nothing to prevent.” he felt that it would be easy enough for an enemy to{190} take his life, no matter how many guards he might have around him. if it were his destiny to die, he felt that death would come in spite of all precautions.
i need hardly say that mr. lincoln was unfortunate in having such a temperament. fortunately, it is exceptional. a cheerful, sunny temperament, that rejoices in prosperity and makes the best of adversity, providing against ill-fortune, but not anticipating it, is a happy possession. in mr. lincoln his morbid feelings were lighted up and relieved by a strong sense of humor, which made him in his lighter moments a very agreeable companion.
