as similar words in our own tongue; then he illustrated that by one or two anecdotes.  But he soon returned to his gentle cross-examination of Agassiz, and found out how the Professor studied, how he composed, and how he delivered his lectures; how he found different tastes in his audiences in different portions of the country.  When afterwards asked why he put such questions to his learned visitor, he said, “Why, what we got from him isn’t printed in the books; the other things are.”  But Lincoln did not do all the questioning.  In his turn, Agassiz asked Lincoln if he had ever engaged in lecturing.  Lincoln gave the outline of a lecture, which he had partly written years before, to show the origin of inventions and prove that there is nothing new under the sun.  “I think I can show,” said he, “at least, in a fanciful way, that all the modern inventions were known centuries ago.”  Agassiz begged that Lincoln would finish the lecture sometime.  Lincoln replied that he had the manuscript somewhere in his papers, “and,” said he, “when I get out of this place, I’ll finish it up, perhaps.”

So great was Lincoln’s magnanimity, and so keen his sense of justice, that he never allowed personal considerations to influence his official acts.  It is probably true that it was easy for him to forgive an injury; but he was incapable of using his position as President to gratify his private resentments.  It was once represented to him that a recent appointee to an important office had been bitterly opposed to him politically.  “I suppose,” said he, “the Judge did behave pretty ugly; but that wouldn’t make him any less fit for this place, and I have a Scriptural authority for appointing him.  You recollect that while the Lord on Mount Sinai was getting out a commission for Aaron, that same Aaron was at the foot of the mountain making a false god, a golden calf, for the people to worship; yet Aaron got his commission, you know.”  At another time, when remonstrated with upon the appointment to place of one of his former opponents, he said:  “Nobody will deny that he is a first-rate man for the place, and I am bound to see that his opposition to me personally shall not interfere with my giving the people a good officer.”  And on another similar occasion, when remonstrated with by members of his Cabinet, he said:  “Oh, I can’t afford to punish every person who has seen fit to oppose my election.  We want a competent man in this office, and I know of no one who could perform the duties better than the one proposed.”

With all his self-abnegation, Lincoln could be stern when the occasion warranted it.  As an illustration the following incident is related:  An officer who had been cashiered from the service, forced himself several times into Lincoln’s presence, to plead for a reversal of his sentence.  Each time he read a long argument attempting to prove that he had received unjust treatment.  The President listened to him patiently; but the facts, on their most favorable