When the public heart was deeply touched by the sufferings of our soldiers who had fallen into the hands of the rebels, and righteous indignation was aroused over the cruelties of Libby prison and Andersonville there were not wanting public men who advised Mr Lincoln to subject the rebel prisoners in Northern prisons to similar treatment by way of retaliation. But the proposition outraged his feelings, and he said to Mr. Odell:—

“I can never, never starve men like that. Whatever others may say or do, I never can, and I never will, be accessory to such treatment of human beings.”

Many Republicans were dissatisfied with Mr. Cameron as a member of the cabinet, and early in Mr. Lincoln’s administration a delegation of bankers from Boston and New York waited upon him to urge the removal of the War Secretary. The President heard them through, and was somewhat exercised over the weakness of their arguments and the persistency of their appeals. He cut short the interview by saying,—

“You talk very glibly, nevertheless I am not convinced. Now, gentlemen, if you want General Cameron removed, you have only to bring me one proved case of dishonesty, and I promise you his ‘head’; but I assure you I am not going to act on what seems to me the most unfounded gossip.”

A congressional committee was appointed to examine a newly-invented gun, and report upon the same. When the report was sent to Mr. Lincoln, who was conferring with the Hon. Mr. Hubbard of Connecticut upon the subject, he glanced at the voluminous document of many manuscript pages, and said,—

“I should want a new lease of life to read this through!” Then throwing it upon the table, he added, “Why can’t a committee of this kind occasionally exhibit a grain of common sense? If I send a man to buy a horse for me, I expect him to tell me his points, not how many hairs there are in his tail.”

The celebrated case of Franklin W. Smith and his brother, of Boston, who were unjustly arrested, imprisoned, and persecuted for months by a military tribunal, on the pretext of defrauding the government, is in point. Mr. Lincoln examined the case thoroughly, and satisfied himself that the two brothers were innocent. As soon as he reached that conclusion, he did not hesitate to assume the responsibility, and issue the following order, without fear or favour:—

“Whereas, Franklin W. Smith had transactions with the Navy Department to the amount of one and a quarter million of dollars; and whereas, he had the chance to steal a quarter of a million, and was only charged with stealing twenty-two hundred dollars—and the question now is about his stealing a hundred—I don’t believe he stole anything at all. Therefore, the record and findings are disapproved—declared null and void, and the defendants are fully discharged.”

These facts show that the President was firm as he was lenient—when firmness was necessary, and that the oft-repeated charge, during his administration, of “having no mind of his own,” and being “destitute of will power,” was without foundation. He could even resort to physical force when the exigencies of the case demanded it, as the following incident shows:—

An officer of the army had been cashiered from the service. Having prepared an elaborate written defence of himself, he appeared before the President and read it.

“According to your own statement of the case the facts do not warrant executive interference,” said Mr. Lincoln.

The officer appeared the second and even the third time, going over substantially the same ground in his plea; but with no better success. The President felt that he was justly cashiered.

“I see you are not disposed to do me justice, Mr. President,” said the officer at last, insultingly.