Lincoln, the unknown

LINCOLN THE UNKNOWN• 163ing but his night-shirt, he would make his way through thehalls of the White House to the office of his secretaries, andread it to them.The day before the Cabinet meeting which was to discuss theissuing of the Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln had gottenhold of Ward's latest volume. There was a story in it that hethought very funny. So he read it to the Cabinet now, beforethey got down to business. It was entitled, "High-handed Outragein Utiky."After Lincoln had had his laugh, he put the book aside andbegan solemnly: "When the rebel army was at Frederick, Idetermined, as soon as it should be driven out of Maryland, toissue a proclamation of emancipation. I said nothing to anyone, but I made the promise to myself and—to my Maker. Therebel army is now driven out, and I am going to fulfil thatpromise. I have called you together to hear what I have writtendown. I do not wish your advice upon the main matter, for thatI have determined for myself. What I have written is that whichmy reflections have determined me to say. But if there is anythingin the expressions I use, or in any minor matter, whichany of you thinks had best be changed, I shall be glad to receivethe suggestions."Seward suggested one slight change in wording; then, a fewminutes later, he proposed another.Lincoln asked him why he hadn't made both suggestions atthe same time. And then Lincoln interrupted the considerationof the Emancipation Proclamation to tell a story. He said ahired man back in Indiana told the farmer who had employedhim that one steer in his best yoke of oxen had died. Havingwaited a while, the hired man said, "The other ox in that teamis dead, too.""Then why didn't you tell me at once," asked the farmer,"that both of them were dead?""Well," answered the hired man, "I didn't want to hurt youby telling you too much at the same time."Lincoln presented the proclamation to his Cabinet in September,1862; but it was not to take effect until the first day ofJanuary, 1863. So when Congress met the following December,Lincoln appealed to that body for support. In making his pleahe uttered one of the most magnificent sentences he ever penned—a sentence of unconscious poetry.