repeat the
question: Can Louisiana be brought into proper practical relation
with the Union sooner by sustaining or by discarding her new State
government? What has been said of Louisiana will apply generally to
other States. And yet so great peculiarities pertain to each State, and
such important and sudden changes occur in the same State, and with also
new and unprecedented is the whole case that no exclusive and inflexible
plan can safely be prescribed as to details and collaterals. Such
exclusive and inflexible plan would surely become a new entanglement.
Important principles may and must be inflexible. In the present
situation, as the phrase goes, it may be my duty to make some new
announcement to the people of the South. I am considering and shall not
fail to act when satisfied that action will be proper."

XXXVII. FATE INTERPOSES

There was an early spring on the Potomac in 1865. While April was still
young, the Judas trees became spheres of purply, pinkish bloom. The
Washington parks grew softly bright as the lilacs opened. Pendulous
willows veiled with green laces afloat in air the changing brown that
was winter's final shadow; in the Virginia woods the white blossoms
of the dogwood seemed to float and flicker among the windy trees like
enormous flocks of alighting butterflies. And over head such a glitter
of turquoise blue! As lovely in a different way as on that fateful
Sun-day morning when Russell drove through the same woods toward Bull
Run so long, long ago. Such was the background of the last few days of
Lincoln's life.

Though tranquil, his thoughts dwelt much on death. While at City Point,
he drove one day with Mrs. Lincoln along the banks of the James. They
passed a country graveyard. "It was a retired place," said Mrs. Lincoln
long afterward, "shaded by trees, and early spring flowers were opening
on nearly every grave. It was so quiet and attractive that we stopped
the carriage and walked through it. Mr. Lincoln seemed thoughtful and
impressed. He said: 'Mary, you are younger than I; you will survive me.
When I am gone, lay my remains in some quiet place like this.'"(1)

His mood underwent a mysterious change. It was serene and yet charged
with a peculiar grave loftiness not quite like any phase of him his
friends had known hitherto. As always, his thoughts turned for their
reflection to Shakespeare. Sumner who was one of the party at City
Point, was deeply impressed by his reading aloud,