Harvard students rallied on campus to offer formal, but “cordial,” congratulations to their fellow student, Robert T. Lincoln, son of the president-elect and newly dubbed – in honor of the Prince of Wales’s recent triumphant American tour – the “Prince of Rails.

When a grizzled yeoman worker appeared one morning to complain that as a state legislator many years earlier, in hard times, young Lincoln had inexcusably voted to raise his government salary from two to all of four dollars a day,” Lincoln listened to the reproach calmly. “Now, Abe, I want to know what in the world made you do it?” demanded the old Democrat. With deadpan seriousness, Lincoln explained: “I reckon the only reason was that we wanted the money.

On the subject of “personal beauty,” for example, Lincoln merrily confided he felt fortunate that “‘the women couldn’t vote,’ otherwise the monstrous portraits of him which had been circulated during the canvas by friends as well as by foes would surely defeat him.

His secretary heard Lincoln authoritatively remind a caller on November 15 that “this government possesses both the authority and the power to maintain its own integrity.” Here was Jacksonian firmness to spare. “That, however, is not the ugly point of this matter,” Lincoln added grimly. “The ugly point is the necessity of keeping the government by force, as ours ought to be a government of fraternity.

After he “urged his way” to the voting table, Lincoln followed ritual by formally identifying himself in a subdued tone: “Abraham Lincoln.”91 Then he “deposited the straight Republican ticket” after first cutting his own name, and those of the electors pledged to him, from the top of his preprinted ballot so he could vote for other Republicans without immodestly voting for himself.

The letter is too belligerent. If I were you, I would state the facts as they were, without the pepper and salt. Abraham Lincoln.

Samuel FB Morse’s SECOND question over the telegraph was, “Have you any news?

Indeed, in 1794, George Washington had not only authorized sending national troops into battle against Pennsylvanians resisting the whiskey tax, he had taken to the field to lead the forces himself. Later, Andrew Jackson had acted boldly to crush South Carolina’s attempt to nullify the 1832 tariff.

New York Times founder Henry Raymond started his newspaper, “with the goal of reforming government, not belittling it.

Henry Villard took sarcastic note of the sudden “adornment of whiskers” on November 19. “His old friends, who have been used to a great indifference as to the ‘outer man,’ on his part,” the journalist punned, “say that ‘Abe is putting on airs.