The truth is, that they
understood each other perfectly on all important matters, and
worked together through three busy trying years with
ever-increasing affection and regard. The President's kindly
humor forgave his Secretary many blunt speeches. "Stanton says I
am a fool?" he is reported to have asked a busy-body who came
fleet-footed to tell him of the Secretary's hasty comment on an
order of little moment. "Stanton says I am a fool? Well"--with a
whimsical glance at his informant--"then I suppose I must be.
Stanton is nearly always right." Knowing that Stanton was "nearly
always right" it made little difference to his chief what he
might say in the heat of momentary annoyance.
Yet in spite of his forbearance he never gave up the "larger
things" that he felt were of real importance; and when he learned
at one time that an effort was being made to force a member of
the cabinet to resign, he called them together, and read them the
following impressive little lecture:
"I must myself be the judge how long to retain in, and when to
remove any of you from his position. It would greatly pain me to
discover any of you endeavoring to procure another's removal, or
in any way to prejudice him before the public. Such endeavor
would be a wrong to me, and much worse, a wrong to the country.
My wish is that on this subject no remark be made, nor question
asked by any of you, here, or elsewhere, now, or hereafter.
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