those times, would read and wonder why the thirteen parishes and the city of New Orleans, in Louisiana, and the counties in Virginia about Norfolk, were excepted from the Proclamation, that they were in the 'very heart and back of slavery,' and unless there was some good reason which was then unknown to him, he hoped they would not be excepted. Mr. Seward said: 'I think so too; I think they should not be excepted.'

"Mr. Lincoln replied: 'Well, upon first view, your objections are clearly good; but after I issued the Proclamation of September 22d, Mr. Bouligny, of Louisiana, then here, came to see me. He was a great invalid and had scarcely the strength to walk up-stairs. He wanted to know of me, if these parishes in Louisiana and New Orleans should hold an election, and elect members of Congress, whether I would not except them from this Proclamation. I told him I would.' Continuing he said: 'No, I did not do that in so many words; if he was here now he could not repeat any words I said which would amount to an absolute promise. But I know he understood me that way, and that is just the same to me. They have elected members and they are here now-Union men, ready to take their seatsand they have elected a Union man from the Norfolk District.'

"Mr. Blair said: 'If you have a promise out, I

will not ask you to break it.' Seward said: 'No, no; we would not have you do that.' Mr. Chase then said: 'Very true, they have elected Hahn and Flanders, but they have not yet got their seats, and it is not certain that they will.'

"Mr. Lincoln arose from his seat, apparently irritated, and walked rapidly back and forth across the room. Looking over his shoulder at Mr. Chase, he said: 'There it is, sir. I am to be bullied by Congress, am I? If I do, I'll be durned.'

"Nothing more was said. A month or more thereafter, Hahn and Flanders were admitted to their seats."

THE GETTYSBURG SPEECH.

R. LINCOLN'S most famous speech was the

MR.

short one delivered at the dedication of the Soldiers' Cemetery on the battle-field at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, November 19, 1863.

The oration of the occasion was delivered by the distinguished scholar, Edward Everett. His speech lasted two hours, Mr. Lincoln's less than five minutes. The latter had been thought out, but was changed slightly during its delivery. As revised afterward by Mr. Lincoln for the Baltimore Fair, it is as follows:

"Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

"Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final restingplace for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

discipline by my frequent pardons and reprieves; but it rests me, after a day's hard work, that I can find some excuse for saving some poor fellow's life; and I shall go to bed happy to-night as I think how joyous the signing of this name will make himself, his family, and friends.' And with a smile beaming on his care-furrowed face, he signed that name and saved that life."

war.

A personal friend of Mr. Lincoln says: "I called on him one day in the early part of the He had just written a pardon for a young man who had been sentenced to be shot for sleeping at his post as a sentinel. He remarked as he read it to me:

"I could not think of going into eternity with the blood of the poor young man on my skirts.' Then he added: 'It is not to be wondered at that a boy, raised on a farm, probably in the habit of going to bed at dark, should, when required to watch, fall asleep; and I can not consent to shoot him for such an act.""

Rev. Newman Hall, in a sermon upon Mr. Lincoln's death, said that the dead body of this boy was found among the slain on the field of Fredericksburg, wearing next to his heart a photograph of his preserver, beneath which he had written, "God bless President Lincoln !"

Mr. Hall in the same sermon

stated that

an officer of the army, in conversation with the preacher, said:

"The first week of my command, there were twenty-four deserters sentenced by court-martial to be shot, and the warrants for their execution were sent to the President to be signed. He refused. I went to Washington and had an interview. I said:

"Mr. President, unless these men are made an example of, the army itself is in danger. Mercy to the few is cruelty to the many.'

"He replied: 'General, there are already too many weeping widows in the United States. For God's sake, don't ask me to add to the number, for I won't do it.""

One day, Mr. Alley, a member of Congress, who called at the White House on business, saw in the crowd an old man crying as if his heart would break. Such a sight was so common that the congressman paid no attention to it. The next day he again called at the White House, and found the old man still there, crying. His heart was touched, and he asked him: "What is the matter, old man?"

The old man told him the story of his boy, a soldier in General Butler's Army of the James, who had been convicted of some crime, and sentenced to be shot the next week. His congress