Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1867-03-24

E11
ASSOCIATE EDtToR---SG CLAEk DEA
Business MANAsER-JOHN AANsbAh
RELIGIOUS OPINIONS OF ABRAHAM
LINCOLN.
Perhaps no man was ever more ce-
tested by a people, than ABRAHAM
LINCOLN was, during the Civil War, by
those whom he was resolved 10 conquer.
The extreme and OF course unjust opin-
lens then entertained have been sue
ceeded by more temperate judgments,
and a more just and impartial estimate
Of his character. He is not now re-
garded, we think, by the intelligent and
well-informed among US, IS bad, vim
dlctive or cruel man but on the contrary
IS k~indhearted and amiable, as indeed 3
man of large heart and generous m
pulses. 1t is not likely that We shall
ever concur in the exaggerated and ex-
-travagsnt eulogies heaped on him by the
orators and people Of the North. We
see no reason to hold him to
have been q great man. On the con-
trary. he seems to US to have been in
many respects 5 weak one, easily led
and with little or ne power to resist a
pressure that urged him towards cruel
ties and injustice foreign to his nature.
L he had lived, he would have been
more generously disposed than his NC
cessor; but he would have yielded to the
pressure upon him, and so become re-
sponsible for the expressions that would
have dishonored him. 1t was probably
well for his reputation that BOOTH was
ambitious of initiating BRUTUs and
CHARLOTTE CoRDAY, and committed
that terrible crime to which undoubt-
eddy, though very unjustly, is due much
Of the evaporation of the people Of the
North against those Of the South.
WILLIAM n. HERNDoN, Of Spring
field, Illinois, for many years Mr.. LIN
COINS law partner, gives the following
synopsis of his religious opinions, which
are, Of course, fit to be considered in
estimating his intellectual character and
capacity:
1. He did not believe in the special,
miraculous inspiration of the scriptures.
At the same time, be believed they were
inspired to a higher degree than perhaps
any other book.
s. But he believed that other works
were also inspired,@such as those Of
Plato, Aristotle, Shakespeare and mum
hers Of others,-and inspired, in a very
high degree, also. He believed that 81
writings were more or less inspired.
8. In fact, he believed in a general law
Of inspiration, 20 which every man,
woman and child born upon the earth,
and even the earth itself, and the pro-
auctions. animal and vegetable, thereon,
were alike subject, according TO their
powers and capabilities, in the degree Of
the receptivity Of each. The whole
world, aud all things thereon, were to
him a vast receptacle into which God
was continually breathing the life OF
liyes-the soul by which and through
which the universe, with all things
therein, exists.
4. He did not believe in the miraculous
conception OF the Virgin Mary, or in the
miraculous birth Of Jesus Christ. be
looked upon Christ as a man endowed
with superior inspiration, but only as a I
man. In fact he was decidedly Unitarian
in his belief as respects this dogma Of the
christian religion.
5. He believed in the ultimate saliva
ton Of all men. He was wont to observe
that, if one man was saved, then all
men wouh be, or God could not be a just
God. "AlI would be saved, or nobody"
was an expression he was in the habit Of
using to his friends.
He generally, however, avoided dis
cussions upon religious subjects and was
heard, on more than one occasion, TO say, /
at would not do TO investigate the sub
ject Of religion too closely as it was apt
70 lead to infidelity."
In 1885, Mr.. HerndOn informs me, Mr..
Lincoln wrote a r-atiOnaiistic work, Civ
ing his peculiar views on religion at
length, and which he showed to a mer-
chant named Samuel i. Hill. Mr.. Hill
took the manuscript from him, and con-
signed il to the flames, warning Mr..
Lincoln Of the fate OF Tom. Paine and
other infidels, placing before him the
fact that he was 8 young man having his
way to make in the world and that the
publication Of such a work would ruin
his social as well as political prospects.
This work was subsequently thrown in
Mr.. Lincoln's face while he was stump
ing this district for congress against the
celebrated Methodist preacher, Rev.
Peter Cartwright. But Mr.. Lincoln
never publicly or privately denied its
authorship, or the sentiments expressed
therein. Nor was he known to change
his religious views any to the latest Pc
riod Of his life.
That Mr.. Lincoln a a cores
pondent Of the Chicago Times, writing
from Springfield, was 8 believer in the
Christisn religion as understood by the
so-callad orthodox sects Of the day, / am
compelled most emphatieally to deny
that is, if I can put faith in the state
ments OF his most intimate friends and
acquaintance IN this city. All Of them
with whom l have conversed on the
agree in indorsing the statements
Of Mr.. HerndOn. Indeed, many of them
u~nreservedly call him an infidel. But
bv such q view Of his religious opinions
1 think they misjudge him merely be-
they compare his faith with the
s0-called orthodox religious opinions
the day. NarrOw-minded peO-
religious belief with that Of
Paine. VOItaire, or VOlney. To my idea,
however, Mr.. LincOln's views of religion
we're as sublime as his views respecting
human rights and human duties. Lin
coln Wa too COED q man to be q phari-
See: too great a man TO be q sectarisn
aud too charitable a man 10 be q bigOt."
THE CASE OF STEPHEN j. MEANY. ,
The case Of this gentleman, who has
recently been convicted Of treason felony :
.n Ireland, presents some curious fea-
lures, which may probably arrest the at
Of our government. Mr.. Meany I
s an American citizen, and if he has /,
$500 ~AEusH1n AaunF NTH ~ a1la-.H IL ]
.ase NAV become q subject Of interfer- {
nee by the state department. The I
with which he was charged were Q
committed in New York-namely, p.
q speech at Clinton hall and .
Fenian bonds for sale. ?
These are certainly not crimes in this D
Ountry, and when the a-ttOrney-gene- q
who conducted the prosecution, ?
admitted that no overt acts in the United 4
kingdom we're proven or even alleged s
against Mr.. NEeany, we are not surprised u
% find Baron Hughes deciding that acts
words done and spoken in New
York were not crimes in Great Britain
Ireland, and declining to sentence A
he prisoner. II the judge had ruled .
otherwise, what would become Of our n
,oasted freedom Of speech2 Mr.. Meany, I.
is still in prison, awaiting the !,
lEELHNDu ~ AAAI wit IA EAABAa 0GAOLG
which these points, as well as the fact
hat he was arrested in London and car 81
to Dublin for trial in violation Of the 81
IsbeEs corpus act, will be argued. II r.,
be ruling Of Baron Hughes is set aside
be prisoner viii be condemned to penal ~
punishment worse than u
eath-fOr = long period Of years. Ii Al
-as claimed in Mr.. Meanyis defence :,
he had no connection with or =
nowledge Of any overt acts Of treason "
D Ireland, nor were any proven. He al
-as tried and convicted for words "a
poken in this city. If the court Of err
should reverse the judgment Of the
,urt below IL becomes q question L
,hether the prisoner must not be re- &C
arded as a citizen Of the United States cs
no has been seriously abused, and be- ii
q subject for the interference Of II
hi goyernment.-M y World. OF