Francis B. Carpenter, Six Months at the White House

[154] office, supposing the rooms to be vacant, I came upon Mr. Lincoln, seated quietly by himself, for once engaged in looking over the contents of a journal, which he had casually taken up.

The Washington dailies,--the “Chronicle,” “Republican,” and “Star,” --were usually laid upon his table, and I think he was in the habit of glancing at the telegraphic reports of these; but rarely beyond this. All war news of importance, of course, reached him previous to its publication. He had, therefore, little occasion to consult newspapers on this account. The Private Secretaries, however, usually kept him informed of the principal subjects discussed editorially in the leading organs of the country.

The journals I became most familiar with, in the Secretaries' quarters, besides those mentioned, were the Philadelphia Press and “North American;” the Baltimore American and “Sun;” the New York Tribune, “Evening post,” “Independent,” “Times,” “Herald,” and “World;” the Albany “Evening journal;” the Boston Advertiser, “Journal,” and “Transcript;” the Chicago Tribune and “Journal,” (the latter valued chiefly for the letters of its war correspondent, B. F. Taylor); the St. Louis Republican and “Democrat;” and the Cincinnati Gazette and “Commercial.”

Violent criticism, attacks, and denunciations, coming either from radicals or conservatives, rarely ruffled the President, if they reached his ears. It