greene and lincoln remained friends; though greene was a democrat, lincoln, as president, appointed greene as internal revenue collector for the peoria district. in "lincoln's new salem", author benjamin thomas relates a story in which lincoln introduced greene to secretary of state william h. seward by saying that greene had taught lincoln grammar: when greene later reminded lincoln that all greene had done was held the grammar book and checked the answers, and was not very good at grammar himself, lincoln is said to have replied "well, that was all the teaching of grammar i ever had."