ident Lincoln's ability
until he had been associated with him for quite a time, but he was
awakened to a full realization of the greatness of the Chief Executive
"all of a sudden."

Having submitted "Some Thoughts for the President's Consideration"--a
lengthy paper intended as an outline of the policy, both domestic and
foreign, the Administration should pursue--he was not more surprised
at the magnanimity and kindness of President Lincoln's reply than the
thorough mastery of the subject displayed by the President.

A few months later, when the Secretary had begun to understand Mr.
Lincoln, he was quick and generous to acknowledge his power.

"Executive force and vigor are rare qualities," he wrote to Mrs. Seward.
"The President is the best of us."

HOW LINCOLN "COMPOSED."

Superintendent Chandler, of the Telegraph Office in the War Department,
once told how President Lincoln wrote telegrams. Said he:

"Mr. Lincoln frequently wrote telegrams in my office. His method of
composition was slow and laborious. It was evident that he thought out
what he was going to say before he touched his pen to the paper. He
would sit looking out of the window, his left elbow on the table, his
hand scratching his temple, his lips moving, and frequently he spoke the
sentence aloud or in a half whisper.

"After he was satisfied that he had the proper expression, he would
write it out. If one examines the originals of Mr. Lincoln's telegrams
and letters, he will find very few erasures and very little interlining.
This was because he had them definitely in his mind before writing them.

"In this he was the exact opposite of Mr. Stanton, who wrote with
feverish haste, often scratching out words, and interlining frequently.
Sometimes he would seize a sheet which he had filled, and impatiently
tear it into pieces."

HAMLIN MIGHT DO IT.

Several United States Senators urged President Lincoln to muster
Southern slaves into the Union Army. Lincoln replied:

"Gentlemen, I have put thousands of muskets into the hands of loyal
citizens of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Western North Carolina. They have
said they could defend themselves, if they had guns. I have given them
the guns. Now, these men do not believe in mustering-in the negro. If I
do it, these thousands of muskets will be turned against us. We should
lose more than we should gain."

Being still further urged, President Lincoln gave them this answer:

"Gentlemen," he sa