The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1872-06-29

cttpt1Ve tne very moment she considered
1t eXpedlent to do so. Mr.. Lincoln was
a rising politician, fresh from the people,
and possessed of great power among
them; Miss Todd was of aPistOcratic and
distinguished family, ,able lead through
the awful portals of "gOod society"
Whomsoever they choose to cOuntenance.
1t was. thought that a union between
them could not fail of numerous bene-
tits to both parties. Mr.. Edwards thought
so; Mrs. Edwards thought so; and it was
not long before Mary Todd herself
Inought SO. She was very ambitious,
and even before she left Kentucky an
nounced her belief that she was ''destined
to be the wife of some future President"
For q little while she was courted by
Douglass as well as by Lincoln; but she
~ said to hayerefused the "Little Giant"
"on account of his bad morals" Being
asked which of them she intended to
nave, she answered: "The one that has
the best chance of being President.n
Mrs: Edwards, Miss T0dd's sister, tells
us that Mr.. Lincoln was charmed with
Mary's wit and fascinated with her quick
sagaclty, her will, her nature and cul-
ture." have happened in the room"
she says, where they were sitting often
and often, and Mary led the cOnyersa-
tlon. Lincoln would listen, and gaze on
her as II drawn by some superior power
-lrreslstibly so; he listened, but never
scarcely said word. =
Lincoln could not hold a lengthy CONVEX
sltl0n With a lady-Was not sufficiently
educated and intelligent in the female
line to do So" Mr.. Lincoln and Mary
We're engaged and their marriage was
only. question of time. But Mr.. Lin
coins love affairs were never destined
to run smoothly, and now one Miss Ma
tlIda Edwards made her "sWeet appear
ance," and brought havoc in her train,
She was the sister of Ninian w. Ed
wards, and came to spend a year with
her brother. She was very fair, and
soon was the reigning belle. No sooner
did Lincoln know her than he felt his
heart change. The other affair. accord
ing to the Edwardses, according to
Stuart, according to Herndon, according
| to Lincoln and everybody else. was a
policy match;H but this was love. For
While ne evidently tried hard to go on as
before, but his feelings were too strong
to be concealed. Mr.. Edwards endeav-
| ored toTeconcile matters by getting his
sister TO marry Speed; but the rebel
l1ous beauty refused Speed dincontinently
3as she dld Douglass t0Ol and married
A%As 1StLN ACJ OUIOuSs IuOI Lincoln
| never whispered word of his passi0n to
her; his high sense Of honor prevented
that, and perhaps she would not have
listened to him if it had been otherwise.
At length, after long reflection, in great
agony OF spirit, Mr. Lincoln concluded
| that duty required him tOmake candid
statement of his feelings to the lady,
who was entitled to his hand. He wrote
her q letter, and told her gently. but
plainly that he did not love her. He
asked Speed to deliver it, but Speed ad-
yised him to burn it. "If you think you
have will and manhood enough to 60
and see her, and speak to her what You
say IN that letter, you may do that y
! Lincoln Went to see her forthwith, and
reported TO Speed, He said that when
he made his somewhat startling oommu-
nicati0n, she rose and said, "The de-
ceiver shall be deceived; woe is me!''
alluding to a yOungman she had fooled.
| Mary told him she knew the reason of
his change of heart, and released him
from his engagement. Some parting en-
dearments took place between them,
and then, as the natural result of those
endeaTments, a reconciliation.
We quote again from Mr.. Edwards
Lincoln and Mary were engaged
everything was ready and prepared fol
the marriage, even to the supper. Mr.
| Lincoln failed to meet his engagement
| Cause, insanity! In his lunacy he de-
clared he hated Mary and loved Miss
Edwards. This is true, yet it was not
his real feeling. A crazy man hates
those he loves when at himself. Often
often, is this the case, The world had
it that Mr.. Lincoln backed out, and this
placed Mary in a peculiar situation and
to set herself right, and free Mr.. Lin
coins mind, she wrote letter to Mr.
Lincoln, stating that size would release
him from his engagement. The whole
OF the year was crazy spell. Miss Ed.
wards was at our house, say a year.
asked Miss Edwards If Mr.. Lincoln eyel
mentioned the subject of his love to her
Miss Edwards said, 'On my word, ht
never mentioned such subject to me
he never even stopped to pay me com,
pli1nent.'n ~
Inthe language of Mr.. Edwards, elm
coin went as crazy as a loOn,n and was
taken to Kentucky by Speed, who KEEP
him until he recovered He "did no
attend the Legislature in 1912 for thi
reason" Mr.. HefndOn devoutly believe!
that Mr.. Lincoln's insanity grew out o.
q most extraordinary complication O.
feelings, aversion to the marriage pro
4 posed, a counter attachment to Mis-
Edwards, and new access of unspeak
able tenderness for the memory of Am
Rutledge, the old love struggling will
a new one, and each sending to his hear
q sacriticial pang as he thought of hi
solemn engagement to marry q thiri
person. At all events, Mr.. Lincoln's de
rangement was nearly. if not quite com
pIete. We had to remove razors from
his roOm,as says Speed, take away al
knives, and other dangerous things. I
was terrible y And now Speed determ
ined to do for him what B0Wlin Green,
had done on similar occasion at New
Salem. Having sold out hiss on tht
1st OF January, 1841, he took Mr.. LincoIl
with him TO his home IN Kentucky, an.
kept him there during most of the sum
mer and fall, or until he. seemed suffi
GENTLY restored to be given his libert,
again at Springfield. when he wa
brought back to his old quarters. DuriR.
this period, he was at times yery mel
| ancholy, and, by his own admission
almost eontenpl plated self destruction.
1t was about this time that he wrOt
some gloomy lines under the head o
Suicide" which were published il
The SangamOn Jcurnal.n MIR. Hern
don remembered something about then
but when he went to look for them i
the Office tileof the Journal z lie foun,
them neatly cut ont, supposed to hav
been done, says he, by Lincoln.
Among other things, he told Speed, re
ferFing probably to his inclination t,
commit suicide, that he had done moth
ing 20 make any human being remembe
that he had lived, and that to connec
ms name with the events transpiring i
his day and generation, and so inDTee
himself upon them as to link his nam
Z with something that would rebound /