Reminiscences of Abraham Lincoln by distinguished men of his time

[Gene C]

I have an abbreviated copy of 400+ pages of this book with chapters by various public figures who knew Lincoln. The internet copy linked to above is about 650 pages with a few more chapters than my copy (The page numbers on the internet copy jump around a little, p.74 to 177, then back to p. 77.) The internet copy has a nice short biography on the men who wrote sections about Lincoln (35 pages), which my copy lacks. Some of the writers are well known to us, others not.

This from J P Usher - Secretary of the Interior, beginning on p.98

From time to time persons, probably desiring to extol and magnify Mr. Lincoln, have represented that he was, during the war, frequently discouraged and quite in despair.
About nothing in his career has he been more misrepresented than by these persons in this matter.
There was never an hour during all the war in which he had any doubt of the ultimate success of the Union arms.
He was often disappointed, and grieved at the disappointment.

Persons may have fallen into the error of supposing that he was dejected and discouraged from his appearance in repose.
When not engaged in conversation his countenance wore a sad expression,
but that was no index of the operation of his mind.
Chief among his great characteristics were his gentleness and humanity, and yet he did not hesitate promptly to approve the sentences of Kennedy and Beall.
During the entire war there are but few other evidences to be found of a willingness on his part that any one should suffer the penalty of death.
His great effort seemed to be to find some excuse, some palliation for offences charged.
He strove at all times to relieve the citizens on both sides of the in- conveniences and hardships resulting from the war.

The President said at one time, referring to Stanton's refusal to issue the permits and the severe remarks made by the persons who were disobliged : " I cannot always know whether a permit ought to be granted, and I want to oblige everybody when I can, and Stanton and I have an understanding that if I send an order to him that cannot be consistently granted, he is to refuse it, which he sometimes does;
and that led to a remark which I made the other day to a man who complained of Stanton, that I hadn't much influence with this administration, but expected to have more with the next."