come in boldly; no objection had been made from within, but on the contrary Captain Todd had told him all was right.  I ascended the interior staircase and entered the East room, where I found more than fifty men, among whom were Hon. Cassius M. Clay and General Lane.  All were armed with muskets, which they were generally examining, and it was the ringing of many rammers in the musket barrels which had caused the noise I had heard.  Mr. Clay informed me that he and a large number of political friends, deeming it very improper that the President’s person should in such times be unguarded, had formed a voluntary guard which would remain there every night and see to it that Mr. Lincoln was well protected.  I applauded the good spirit exhibited, but did not, however, cease the posting of the outside guards, nor the nightly inspections myself as before, until the time came when others than myself became responsible for the safety of the President.”

It is stated that Lincoln “had an almost morbid dislike to an escort, or guard, and daily exposed himself to the deadly aim of an assassin.”  To the remonstrances of friends, who feared his constant exposure to danger, he had but one answer:  “If they kill me, the next man will be just as bad for them; and in a country like this, where our habits are simple, and must be, assassination is always possible, and will come if they are determined upon it.”  A cavalry guard was once placed at the gates of the White House for a while, and Lincoln said that he “worried until he got rid of it.”  He once remarked to Colonel Halpine:  “It would never do for a President to have guards with drawn sabers at his door, as if he fancied he were, or were trying to be, or were assuming to be, an emperor.”  While the President’s family were at their summer-house, near Washington, he rode into town of a morning, or out at night, attended by a mounted escort; but if he returned to town for a while after dark, he rode in unguarded, and often alone, in his open carriage.  On more than one occasion, the same writer tells us, he “has gone through the streets of Washington at a late hour of the night with the President, without escort, or even the company of a servant, walking all the way, going and returning.  Considering the many open and secret threats to take his life, it is not surprising that Lincoln had many thoughts about his coming to a sudden and violent end.  He once said that he felt the force of the expression, ‘To take one’s life in his hand’; but that he would not like to face death suddenly.  He said that he thought himself a great coward physically, and was sure that he would make a poor soldier, for unless there was something inspiriting in the excitement of a battle he was sure that he would drop his gun and run at the first symptom of danger.  That was said sportively, and he added, ‘Moral cowardice is something which I think I never had.’”

CHAPTER XVI