The life and public services of Abraham Lincoln ... together with his state papers, including his speeches, addresses, messages, letters, and proclamations, and the closing scenes connected with his life and death. By Henry J. Raymond. To which are added anecdotes and personal reminiscences of President Lincoln, by Frank B. Carpenter.

ANECDOTES AND REMINISCENCES. 7-i
Jtst here, I may say with propriety, and I feel that it is due to Mr.
Lincoln's memory to state, that, during the entire period of my stav
in Washington, after witnessing his intercourse with almost all classes
of people, including governors, senators, members of Congrless, officers of the army, and familiar friends, I cannot recollect to have ever
heard him relate a circumstance to any one of them all that would
lave,leen out of place uttered in a ladies' drawing-room! I am aware
that a different impression prevails, founded it mnay be in some ifnstances
upon facts; but where there is one fact of the kind I am pers.uaded that
there arc forty falsehoods, at least. At any rate, what I have stated is
voluntary testimony, from a stand-point,I submit, entitled to respectful consideration.
Amongr his stories freshest in my mind, one which he related to me
shortly after its occurrence, belongs to the hlistory of tlih famnous interview on board the River Queen, at Iampton:Rads, between himself
and Secretary Seward, and the relbel Peace Commissioners. It was
reported at the time that the President told a "little story" on that
occasion, and the inquiry went around among the newspapers, "What
was it?" The NVew York Herald published w hat purported to be a
version of it, Iut the "point" was entirely lost, and it attracted no
attention. Bcinr in Washington a few days subsequent to the interview with the Commissioners (my previous sojourn tiere having terminated about the first of last August), I asked Mr. Lincoln, one day,
" if it was true that he told Stephens, Hunter, and Camplbell a story."
"Why, yes," he replied, manifesting some surprise, "but has it leakcd
out I was in hopes nothing would be said about it, lest some oversensitive people should imagine tlhere was a degree of levity in the
intercourse between us." I-e then went on to relate the circumstances
whicl called it out. "You see," said he, "we had reached and were
discussing the slavery question. Mr. Hunter said, substantially, that
the slaves, always accustomed to an overseer, and to work upon compulsion, suddenly freed, as they would be if the South should consent
to peace on the basis of the ' Enancipation Proclamation,' would precipitate not only themselves but the entire Southern society into
irremediable ruin. No work would be donie, nothiiig would be cultivated, and both blacks and whites would starve!" Said the Presideit, "I waited for Seward to answer that argument, but as he was
silent, I at length said: "Mr. Hunter, you ought to know a great deal
better about this matter than I, for you have always lived under the
slave system. I can only say, in reply to your statement of the case;
that it reminds me of a man out in Illinois, by the name of Case, who