y endorsing every act, past,
present, and to come, of the national Democratic administration.

Upon the return of the member to Washington, I expressed to him my
surprise at a conversion which, in suddenness and power, had possibly
but one parallel in either sacred or profane history. Closing his
near eye, he said:

"Look here! I can illustrate my position about this matter by
relating a little incident I witnessed near the close of the war.
Just as I was leaving an old ferry-boat in which I had crossed the
Tennessee River, my attention was attracted to a canoe near by
in which were seated two fishermen, both negroes, one a very old
man and the other a small boy. Suddenly the canoe capsized and
they were both dumped in the deep water. The boy was an expert
swimmer and was in no danger. Not so with the old man; he sank
immediately, and it certainly seemed that his fishing days were
over. The boy, however, with a pluck and skill that did him great
credit, instantly dived to the bottom of the river, and with great
difficulty and much personal peril finally succeeded in landing
the old man upon the shore.

"Approaching the heroic youth, as he was wringing the water from
his own garments, I inquired,

"'Your father, is he?'

"'No, sir,' was the quick reply, 'he ain't my father.'

"'Your grandfather, then?'

"'No, sir, he ain't my grandfather nuther, he ain't no kin to me, I
tell you.'

"'Earnestly expressing my surprise at his having imperilled his
own life to save a man who was no kin to him, the boy replied,'

"'You see, dis was de way of it boss; _de ole man, he had de bait!"_

XLI
ANECDOTES ABOUT LINCOLN

LINCOLN'S TROUBLE WITH THREE EMANCIPATION ENTHUSIASTS--A SCHOOLBOY'S
TROUBLE WITH SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABEDNEGO--PRETTY WELL OFF WITH
A FORTUNE OF FIFTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS--LINCOLN REBUKES SOME RICH MEN
WHO DEMAND A GUNBOAT FOR THE PROTECTION OF NEW YORK.

The Hon. John B. Henderson, now of Washington City, but during the
war and the early reconstruction period a distinguished Union
Senator from Missouri, relates the following incident of Mr. Lincoln.
During the gloomy period of 1862, late one Sunday afternoon he
called upon the President and found his alone in his library.
After some moments Mr. Lincoln, apparently much depressed, stated
in substance: "They are making every effort, Henderson, to induce
me to issue a Proclamation of Emancipation. Sumner and Wilson and
Stevens are constantly