The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1870-05-06
CHE sS)avletta Son1ual.
MARIETTA GEORGIA.
Friday MORN. May 6, 1870.
WAS A. LINCOLN AN ATHEIST OR
DEIST -?

The Lnder, a free religious paper,
published by Francis +. Abbott, in To-
ledo, Ohio, contains the following ac
count of Abraham Lincoln's religious
theory. The article was furnished by
request of the editor of the I'a}ec, by
Mr.. w. II. Hcrndon, late law partner
of the late Mr.. Lincoln:
SARINGFILD, ILL, Feb. Is, 1870.
Mr.. ABBOTT: Some time since l
promised you that would send letter
in relation to Mr.. Lincoln's religion. |
do so now Before entering on that
question, one or two preliminary re-
marks will help us to understand why
he disagreed with the Christian world IN
its principles, we'll as in its theology
In the first place, Mr.. Lincoln's mind
was a purely logical mind secondly,
Mr.. Lincoln was purely practical man.
He had no fancy or Imagination, and
not much emotion He was reallst as
opposed to an idealist. As a general
rule it is true that purely logical mind
has not much hope, if it ever has, taih
IN tie unseen anil mknOacn. Mr.. Lin
coin had not much hope aud no faith in
things that be outside of the domain of
demonstration life was SO constituted
so organizcd-that he could believe
nothing unless his senses of logic could
reach it. | have often read to him a
law point, decision, or something | fan
cied; he could not understand it until
he took the book out of my hand and
read the thing for himself. He was ter
ribIv, vcxatiousIy sceptical. He could
scarcely understand anything unless he
had time and place fixed in his mind.
became acquainted with AIR. Lin
coin in 1884, and | think [ knew him
well to the day of his death, His mind,
when a boy in Kentucky, showed GER
tain gloom, an unsocial nature pccu
liar abstractedness, bold and daring
skcpticism. In Indiana, from 1917 to
1880, it manifested the same qualities
or attributes as in Kentucky; it only
intensified, developed itself along those
lines, in Indiana. He came to Illinois
in 1880. and, after some little rowing,
settled in New Salem, now in Mcnard
county, and State Of Illinois. This vii
lage lies about twenty miles northwest
of this city. 1t was here that Mr.. Lin
coin became acquainted with class Of
men the world never saw the like of be-
fore or since. Ihcy aCcyc large meR-
large in body and large IN mind; hard 20
whip and never to be fooled. They
were bold, daring and reckless set Of
men; they were men Of their own
minds-belicvod what was demon5tra-
bIc-were men of great common sense.
With these men Mr.. Lincoln was thrown;
with them he lived and with them he
moved and almost had his being. They
were skeptics aIl-scohers some. These
scoffers we're good men, and their SCOTS
were protects against theology-lond
protests against the foliics Of Chrlstani-
ty; they had never heard of Theism
and the newer and better religious
thoughts of this age. Hence, being
natural skeptics, and being bold, brave
men, they uttered their thoughts freely.
They declared that Jesus was an lie
climate child. | know these men well
and have felt for them-have done my
little best when occasion offered to edu-
cate them up to higher thoughts. These
men could not conceive it possible that
three could be in one, nor one in three
Gods; they couId not deijere that tie
Father 9uincd one of HIS 0acB lDrcly
children. This was monstrous to them.
They were on all occasions, when OPP
portunity offered, debating the various
questions of Christianity among them
selves; they took their stand on COM
mon sense and ON their own souls !; and
though their arguments were rado and
rough, no man could overthrow their
homely logic. They ridded all divines,
and not unfrcquently made them skeP-
tics-disb Iievers as, bad as themselves.
They were jovial, heaIthful, generous,
social, true an manly set Of people
1t was here, and among these people,
that Mr.. Lincoln was thrown. About
the 1884 he CHANGED to come across
"volney's Ruins" and some of Paine's
theological works. lie at once seized
hold of them, and assimilated them into
his own being. VoIney and Paine be
came a part Of Mr.. Lincoln from 1884
to the end of his life. In 1889 he wrote
out a small work or "Inndelity," and in
tended to have it published. The book
was an attack upon the whole grounds OF
Christianity, and especially was it an at at
tack upon the idea that Jesus was the
Christ, the true and only begotten Son
of God, as the Christian world contends
Mr.. Lincoln was at that time IN New
Salem keeping store for Mr.. Samuel iHIl,l
merchant and postmaster OF that places
lincoln and Hill were friendly. Hill, L
think. was a little skeptic at that time.
Lincoln, one day after the book was fn-