Francis B. Carpenter, Six Months at the White House

Another incident, which occurred in the course of the day, created considerable amusement. When the Philadelphia delegation was being presented, the chairman of that body, in introducing one of the members, said: “Mr. President, this is Mr. S-, of the Second District of our State,a most active and earnest friend of yours and the cause. He has, among other things, been good enough to paint, and present to our League rooms, a most beautiful portrait of yourself.” Mr. Lincoln took the gentleman's hand in his, and shaking it cordially, said with a merry voice,--“I presume, sir, in painting your beautiful portrait, you took your idea of me from my principles, and not from my person”

Among the visitors, the same afternoon, were William Lloyd Garrison and Theodore Tilton. In the “Editorial notes,” concerning the convention and nominations, in his newspaper, the New York Independent, the following week, Mr. Tilton wrote:--

“On his reception day, the President's face wore an expression of satisfaction rather than elation. His reception of Mr. Garrison was an equal honor to host and guest. In alluding to our failure to find the old jail, he said,--‘Well, Mr. Garrison, when you first went to Baltimore you couldn't get out; but the second time you couldn't get in!’ When one of us mentioned the great enthusiasm at the convention, after Senator Morgan's proposition ”