Meanwhile the dying President was quickly carried into a house
near. But nothing that love or science could do availed. The kind
grey eyes were closed never to open again, the gentle voice was
stilled forever. All night he lay moaning softly, then as morning
dawned a look of utter peace came upon his face and the moaning
ceased.
Deep silence fell upon every one around the bed. The Secretary of
War was the first to break it.
"Now he belongs to the ages," he said.
So the great President passed on his way. And the people mourned
as they had mourned for no other man. As to the negroes they wept
and cried aloud, and would not be comforted, for "Massa Linkum was
dead," and they were left fatherless.
__________
Chapter 92 - Johnson - How The President Was Impeached
The Vice-President, Andrew Johnson, now became President. Like
Lincoln, he came of very poor people. He taught himself how to
read, but could not write until after his marriage, when his wife
taught him. In many ways he thought as Lincoln did, but he had none
of Lincoln's wonderful tact in dealing with men, he could not win
men's love as Lincoln had done.
"I tell you," said a Confederate soldier, speaking of Lincoln,
"he had the most magnificient face and eyes that I have ever gazed
into. If he had walked up and down the Confederate line of battle
there would have been no battle.
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