The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1870-05-06
No. 18.

recover his health but at all events tell
him to remember to call upon and con-
fide in One great and good and mercitul
Maker, who will not turn away from him
in any extremity. He notes the fall of
the sparrow, and numbers the hairs of
our heads and He will not forget the
dying man who puts his trust in linn
Say to him that if we meet now, 1t is
doubtful whether it would be more pain
ful than pleasant; but that if it be his
lot to go now, he will soon have a joyous
meeting with the many loved ones gone
before, and where the rest of us, through
the help of God, hope ere long to join
them. A. LINCOLN"
SO it seems that Mr. Lincoln believed
in God and immortality, as well as fleav.
en- place. He believed in no hell and
no punishment in the future world. 1t
has been said to me that Mr. Lincoln wrote
the above letter to an old man simply to
cheer him up in his last moments, and
! that the writer did not believe what he
said. The question is-was Mr.. Lincoln
an honest and truthful man, Ifhe was,
he wrote that letter honestly, believing It;
| it has 10 me the sound, the ring of an
/ honest utterance. | admit that Mr.. Lin
/ coin, in his moments of melancholy and
terrible gloom, was living on the border
land between theiom and atheism-some-
times quite wholly dwelling in atheism.
In his happier moments he would swing
back to theism, and dwell lovingly there.
1t is possible that Mr.. Lincoln was not
always responsible for what he said or
thought, so deep, so intense, SO terrible
was his melancholy. | send You lee
turo of mine, which will help you to see
what mean. | MAINTAIN that Mr.. Lin
coin was deeply religious man at all
times and places, in spite ofhis transient
doubts.
Soon after Mr. Lincoln was assasina-
ted, Mr.. Holland came into my office and
made some enquiries about him, stating
to me his purpose of writing his life.
freely told him what he asked, and much
more He then asked me what | thought
about Mr.. Lincoln's religion, meaning
his views of Christianity. l replied, "thc
less sail, the BETTER" Mr.. Holland has
recorded my expression to him, (sce Hol-
lands "Life of Lincoln" page 14l) |
annot say what Mr. Holland said to me,
as that was private. 1t appears that
he went and saw Mr. Newton Batcman,
superintendent of Public instruction in
this State. 1t appears that Mr. Bateman
told Mr.. Holland many things, if he is
correctly represented in Hollands "Litc
of Lincoln" pages 23G to 24l, inclusive.
doubt whcter Mr. Batoman said in full
what is recorded there. doubt great
! deal of it. know the whole story is un-
true-untrue in substance-untruc in
fact and spirit. AS soon as the Life of
Lincoln" was out, on reading that part
here referred to, | instantly sought Mr..
Batcman, and found him in his office. l
spoke to him politely and kindly, and he
spoke to me in the same manner. | SAID
substantially to him that Mr.. Holland, in
order to make Mr.. Lincoln technical
Christian, made him hypocritc; and so
his Life of Lincoln" quite plainly says.
| loved Mr. Lincoln, and was mortified,
if not angry, to see him made a hypo-
critic. cannot now detail what Mr..
Batcman said, as it was private CONVEX
sation. and am forbidden to make use
of it in public. If some good gentleman
can only get the seal of secrecy remov-
ed, can show what was said and done.
On my word the world may take it for
granted that Holland is wrong, that he
does not state Mr., Lincon's views cor
rectly. MIR. Batcman, if correctly rep
resented in Hollands 'Life of Lincoln"
is the only man. the sole and only man,
who dare say that Mr. Lincoln believed
in Jesus as the Christ of Cod, as the
| Christian world represents. This is not
pleasant situation for Nr. Bateman. |
have notes and dates of our conversation,
and the world will know who is truthful
and who otherwise. | doubt whether
Batcman is correctly represented by
Holland My notes bear date December
3. u and %, 1866. Some of our con-
versations were in the spring Of 1866,
and the fall of 1865.
l do not remember ever seeing the
words Jesus or Christ in print, as uttered
by Mr.. Lincoln If he has used these
words, they can be found. He uses the
word God but seldom. l never heard
him use the name of Christ or Jesus, but
to confute the idea that he was the Christ,
the only and truely begotten Son of God,
as the Christian world understands it.
The idea that Mr.. Lincoln carried the
New Testament or Bible in his bosom or
boots, to draw on his opponent in debate,
is ridiculous. If Christianity cannot
live without falsehood, the sooner it dies
the better fer mankind, Every great
man that dies-infdel, pantheist, theist,
or atheists instantly dragged into the
church, and transformed through false
hood into the great defender of the faith,
unless his opinions are too well known to
IN Araod -