adopt their suggestion. Whether the evidence CHAP. XX. would prove ultimately true, or whether violence upon him would be attempted, was not the question. The existence of the danger was pointed out and certified by an authority he had no right to disregard; the trust he bore was not merely the personal safety of an individual, but the fortune and perhaps the fate of the Government of the nation. It was his imperative duty to shun all possible and unnecessary peril. A man of less courage would have shrunk from what must inevitably appear to the public like a sign of timidity; but Lincoln on this and other occasions concerned himself only with the larger issues at stake, leaving minor and especially personal consequences to take care of themselves. Frederick W. Seward was, therefore, informed by Judd "that he could say to his father that all had been arranged, and that, so far as human foresight could predict, Mr. Lincoln would be in Washington at 6 o'clock the next morning." With this Nov. 3, 1867. message Mr. Seward returned to Washington, while Mr. Lincoln and his suite proceeded to Harrisburg, where on that same Friday, the 22d of February, he was officially received by the Governor and the Legislature of Pennsylvania. No other member of Mr. Lincoln's suite had as yet been notified of anything connected with the matter; but Mr. Judd had suggested to him that he felt exceedingly the responsibility of the advice he had given and the steps he had taken, and that he thought it due to the age and standing of the leading gentlemen of the President-elect's party that at least they should be informed and consulted. "To Judd to Pinkerton, 1861. CHAP. XX. the above suggestions," writes Judd, "Mr. Lincoln assented, adding: 'I reckon they will laugh at us, Judd, but you had better get them together.' It was arranged that after the reception at the State-house, and before dinner, the matter should be fully laid before the following gentlemen of the party: Judge David Davis, Colonel E. V. Sumner, Major David Hunter, Captain John Pope, and Ward H. Lamon." Mr. Judd's narrative then further recites what occurred: The meeting thus arranged took place in the parlor of the hotel, Mr. Lincoln being present. The facts were laid before them by me, together with the details of the proposed plan of action. There was a diversity of opinion, and some warm discussion, and I was subjected to a very rigid cross-examination. Judge Davis, who had expressed no opinion, but contented himself with asking rather pointed questions, turned to Mr. Lincoln, who had been listening to the whole discussion, and said: "Well, Mr. Lincoln, what is your own judgment upon this matter?" Mr. Lincoln replied: "I have thought over this matter considerably, since I went over the ground with Pinkerton last night. The appearance of Mr. Frederick Seward, with warning from another source, confirms Mr. Pinkerton's belief. Unless there are some other reasons besides fear of ridicule, I am disposed to carry out Judd's plan." Judge Davis then said: "That settles the matter, gentlemen." Colonel Sumner said: "So be it, gentlemen; it is against my judgment, but I have undertaken to go to Washington with Mr. Lincoln, and I shall do it." I tried to convince him that any additional person added to the risk; but the spirit of the gallant old soldier was up, and debate was useless. The party separated about 4 P. M., the others to go to the dinner table, and myself to go to the railroad station and the telegraph office. At a quarter to six I was back at the hotel, and Mr. Lincoln was still at the table. In a few moments the carriage drove up to the side door of the hotel. Either Mr. Nicolay or Mr. Lamon called Mr. Lincoln from the table. He went to his room, changed CHAP. XX. his dinner dress for a traveling suit, and came down with a soft hat sticking in his pocket, and his shawl on his arm. As the party passed through the hall I said, in a low tone," Lamon, go ahead. As soon as Mr. Lincoln is in the carriage, drive off; the crowd must not be allowed to identify him." Mr. Lamon went first to the carriage; Colonel Sumner was following close after Mr. Lincoln; I put my hand gently on his shoulder; he turned to see what was wanted, and before I could explain, the carriage was off. The situation was a little awkward, to use no stronger terms, for a few moments, until I said to the Colonel: "When we get to Washington, Mr. Lincoln shall determine what apology is due to you." It is needless to describe the various stages of Mr. Lincoln's journey. The plan arranged by the railroad and telegraph officials was carried out to the smallest detail without delay or special incident, and without coming to the knowledge of any person on the train or elsewhere, except those to whom the secret was confided. The Presidentelect and his single companion were safely and comfortably carried from Harrisburg to Philadelphia, and at midnight took their berths in the sleeping-car of the regular train from New York, passing through Baltimore unrecognized and undisturbed, and arriving in Washington at 6 o'clock on the morning of February 23. Here they were met by Mr. Seward and E. B. Washburne, and conducted to Willard's Hotel. The family and 1 Many caricatures and comments of that day were based upon the following sentence in a dispatch to the "New-York Times": "He wore a Scotch plaid cap and a very long military cloak, so that he was entirely unrecognizable." This de scription was the pure invention 1861. CHAP. XX. suite made the journey direct from Harrisburg to Baltimore, according to the programme, arriving in Washington late that evening. They encountered in Baltimore no incivility, nor any unusual disorder, though, as elsewhere, dense crowds, very inadequately controlled by the police, surrounded the railroad depots and filled the streets through which their carriages passed. All motive, however, to commit an assault was now past, since it was everywhere known that Mr. Lincoln was not with the party, but already at his destination. ARR CHAPTER XXI LINCOLN'S INAUGURATION RRIVED in Washington and installed in the CHAP. XXI. spacious parlors of Willard's Hotel, fronting on Pennsylvania Avenue, Mr. Lincoln had a little more than a week to prepare for the inauguration. Of this a part was taken up with the customary introductory visits-to the outgoing President and Cabinet, where Mr. Buchanan and his councilors received him with cordial politeness; to the two Houses of Congress, where he was enthusiastically welcomed by friends and somewhat sullenly greeted by opponents; and to the Supreme Court of the United States, whose venerable chief and associate justices extended to him an affable recognition as the lawful successor in constitutional rulership. In his own parlors, also, the President-elect received numerous demonstrations of respect. President Buchanan and his Cabinet officially returned his visit. The Peace Conference, embracing distinguished delegates from all the free States and the border slave States, and headed by their chairman, ex-President Tyler, waited upon him in a body, in pursuance of a formal and unanimous resolution. His Presidential rivals, Douglas and Breckinridge, each made him a call of courtesy. "Proceedings of the Peace Con ference," pp. 336, 337. |