County?  Do you remember a story that Bob used to tell us about his going to Missouri to look up some Mormon lands that belonged to his father?  You know that when Robert became of age he found among the papers of his father a number of warrants and patents for lands in Northeast Missouri, and he concluded the best thing he could do was to go to Missouri and investigate the condition of things.  It being before the days of railroads, he started on horseback, with a pair of old-fashioned saddlebags.  When he arrived where he supposed his land was situated, he stopped, hitched his horse, and went into a cabin standing close by the roadside.  He found the proprietor, a lean, lank, leathery looking man, engaged in the pioneer business of making bullets preparatory to a hunt.  On entering, Mr. Lewis observed a rifle suspended in a couple of buck-horns above the fire.  He said to the man, ’I am looking up some lands that I think belong to my father,’ and inquired of the man in what section he lived.  Without having ascertained the section, Mr. Lewis proceeded to exhibit his title papers in evidence, and, having established a good title, as he thought, said to the man, ‘Now, that is my title.  What is yours?’ The pioneer, who had by this time become somewhat interested in the proceedings, pointed his long finger toward the rifle.  Said he, ’Young man, do you see that gun?’ Mr. Lewis frankly admitted that he did.  ‘Well,’ said he, ’that is my title, and if you don’t get out of here pretty d——­d quick you will feel the force of it.’  Mr. Lewis very hurriedly put his title papers in his saddlebags, mounted his pony and galloped down the road, and, as Bob says, the old pioneer snapped his gun twice at him before he could turn the corner.  Lewis said that he had never been back to disturb that man’s title since.  ‘Now,’ said Mr. Lincoln, ’the military authorities have the same title against the civil authorities that closed out Bob’s Mormon title in Missouri.’” Judge Weldon says that after this anecdote he understood what would be the policy of the Government in the matter referred to as well as though a proclamation had been issued.

The tedium of meetings of the Cabinet was often relieved, and troublesome matters before it were illuminated, by some apt and pithy story.  Secretary Welles tells of such an occasion when “Seward was embarrassed about the Dominican [sic] question.  To move either way threatened difficulty.  On one side was Spain, on the other side the negro.  The President remarked that the dilemma reminded him of the interview between two negroes, one of whom was a preacher endeavoring to admonish and enlighten the other.  ‘There are,’ said Josh the preacher, ’two roads for you, Joe.  Be careful which you take.  One ob dem leads straight to hell, de odder go right to damnation.’  Joe opened his eyes under the impressive eloquence and visions of an awful future, and exclaimed, ‘Josh, take which road you please; I go troo de wood.’  ’I am not disposed to take any new trouble,’ said the President, ’just at this time, and shall neither go for Spain nor the negro in this matter, but shall take to the woods.’”