''Abe'' Lincoln's Yarns and Stories - University of Macau Library

Yarns and Stories, by Alexander K. McClure 194foreign, the Administration should pursue--he was not more surprised at themagnanimity and kindness of President Lincoln's reply than the thoroughmastery of the subject displayed by the President.A few months later, when the Secretary had begun to understand Mr.Lincoln, he was quick and generous to acknowledge his power."Executive force and vigor are rare qualities," he wrote to Mrs. Seward."The President is the best of us."HOW LINCOLN "COMPOSED."Superintendent Chandler, of the Telegraph Office in the War Department,once told how President Lincoln wrote telegrams. Said he:"Mr. Lincoln frequently wrote telegrams in my office. His method ofcomposition was slow and laborious. It was evident that he thought outwhat he was going to say before he touched his pen to the paper. He wouldsit looking out of the window, his left elbow on the table, his handscratching his temple, his lips moving, and frequently he spoke the sentencealoud or in a half whisper."After he was satisfied that he had the proper expression, he would write itout. If one examines the originals of Mr. Lincoln's telegrams and letters, hewill find very few erasures and very little interlining. This was because hehad them definitely in his mind before writing them."In this he was the exact opposite of Mr. Stanton, who wrote with feverishhaste, often scratching out words, and interlining frequently. Sometimes hewould seize a sheet which he had filled, and impatiently tear it into pieces."HAMLIN MIGHT DO IT.Several United States Senators urged President Lincoln to muster Southernslaves into the Union Army. Lincoln replied: