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

Yarns and Stories, by Alexander K. McClure 54the campaign. Lincoln was from the very first popular with his men,although one of them told him to "go to the devil.""ABE" STIRRING THE "BLACK" COALS.Under the caption, "The American Difficulty," "Punch" printed on May11th, 1861, the cartoon reproduced here. The following text was placedbeneath the illustration: PRESIDENT ABE: "What a nice White House thiswould be, if it were not for the blacks!" It was the idea in England, and, infact, in all the countries on the European continent, that the War of theRebellion was fought to secure the freedom of the negro slaves. Such wasnot the case. The freedom of the slaves was one of the necessaryconsequences of the Civil War, but not the cause of that bloody four years'conflict. The War was the result of the secession of the states of the Southfrom the Union, and President "Abe's" main aim was to compel theseceding states to resume their places in the Federal Union of states.The blacks did not bother President "Abe" in the least as he knew he wouldbe enabled to give them their freedom when the proper time came. He hadthe project of freeing them in his mind long before he issued hisEmancipation Proclamation, the delay in promulgating that document beingdue to the fact that he did not wish to estrange the hundreds of thousands ofpatriots of the border states who were fighting for the preservation of theUnion, and not for the freedom of the negro slaves. President "Abe" hadpatience, and everything came out all right in the end.GETTING RID OF AN ELEPHANT.Charles A. Dana, who was Assistant Secretary of War under Mr. Stanton,relates the following: A certain Thompson had been giving the governmentconsiderable trouble. Dana received information that Thompson was aboutto escape to Liverpool.Calling upon Stanton, Dana was referred to Mr. Lincoln.