Probably his contacts with the new
President were insufficient to justify it. The first record of personal
impressions was that made by W.H. Russell and later printed in his
"Diary" but not reproduced in his letters to the _Times_. Russell was
taken to the White House. "Soon afterwards there entered, with a
shambling, loose, irregular, almost unsteady gait, a tall, lank, lean
man, considerably over six feet in height, with stooping shoulders, long
pendulous arms, terminating in hands of extraordinary dimensions, which,
however, were far exceeded in proportion by his feet.... The impression
produced by the size of his extremities, and by his flapping and
wide-projecting ears, may be removed by the appearance of kindliness,
sagacity, and awkward bonhomie of his face ... eyes dark, full, and
deeply set, are penetrating, but full of an expression which almost
amounts to tenderness.... A person who met Mr. Lincoln in the street
would not take him to be what--according to usages of European
society--is called a 'gentleman' ... but, at the same time, it would not
be possible for the most indifferent observer to pass him in the street
without notice."--_My Diary_, I, pp. 37-8.]
[Footnote 92: Lyons Papers.]
[Footnote 93: F.O., Am., Vol. 761.]
[Footnote 94: F.O., Am., Vol. 762, No.
Pages:
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125