Francis B. Carpenter, Six Months at the White House

“Within a month after Mr. Lincoln's first accession to office,” says the Hon. Mr. Raymond,

when the South was threatening civil war, and armies of office-seekers were besieging him in the Executive Mansion, he said to a friend that he wished he could get time to attend to the Southern question; he thought he knew what was wanted, and believed he could do something towards quieting the rising discontent; but the office-seekers demanded all his time. “I am,” said he, “like a man so busy in letting rooms in one end of his house, that he can't stop to put out the fire that is burning the other.” Two or three years later, when the people had made him a candidate for reelection, the same friend spoke to him of a member of his Cabinet who was a candidate also. Mr. Lincoln said he did not concern himself much about that. It was important to the country that the department over which his rival presided should be administered with vigor and energy, and whatever would stimulate the Secretary to such action would do good. “R-,” said he, “you were brought up on a farm, were you not? Then you know what a chin fly is. My brother and I,” he added, “were once ploughing corn on a Kentucky farm, I driving the horse, and he holding the plough. The horse was lazy; but on one occasion ”