The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-06-10
THE LOVES OF LINCOLN.
Il CURIOUS CHAPTER IN THE LIFE OF
"THE M1RTYR-

"THE ARTYR-PRESIDENT"
MIR. Lannon's Story OF His Coartsh1p
and Marriage, as Told In His Biogra-
ply.
A correspondent of the New York Tribune,
apropos of Colonel Lannon's New Life OF Abra-
ham Lincoln, reveals the complicated story of
the late Presidents love affairs, from which 1t
appears that Mr.. LIncoln'5 youth was as beset
with tender anxieties as his ripper years were
burdened with political and military contests.
We make room for The following gosslpy eX-
tracts descriptive of the early love-scrapes of
the future President:
Late in 1882, or early In 1888, MIR. Lincoln
went to board at o tavern IN New Salem, ILL.,,
kept by James Rutledge. Anu Rutledge, the
third daughler OF this family, was at that Time
about nineteen, and was probably the most
refined woman with whom Mr.. Lincoln had
then ever conversed-a modest, delicate crea-
ture, fascinating, were 1t only by force OF con-
Lrast with the rude people by whom Dotn were
surrounded. ALI witnesses unite In pra1aing
her. Mrs. Hardin Bale, q woman OF the neigh.
borhood VINO knew her we'll, said "she had
auburn hair, blue eyes, fair complexion, was
pretty, kind, tender, good-hearted woman, be-
loved by all who knew her. McNamar, Hill
and Lincoln all courted her at the same time"
The men who spoke Of her described her with
yet more enthusiasm. She had sad story.
When little more tnan seventeen she became
engaged TO McNamar. He left her TO 60 TO the
assistance OF mis- parents In the State of
New York, promising 10 return as soon as
possible; but weeks grew months, and even
wears, and still he did not come. She had
loved him at first, but the love seems to have
cooled with his long absence, and at last she
responded to the passionate and impetuous At
lacbmen: of young Lincoln But % she s,s,a ies Una.
she must not marry until she coula ootaln
release from McNamar. She wrote to him IN
vain. and she had waited In vain for his COM
Inp. and in 1885 she died, as some say Of brain
fever Induced by her anxiety OF mind. In her
grave Lincoln was wont TO declare his heart
lay buried. A few days before her death he
was summoned to her bedside; but what hap
pened in that solemn conference was known
only to him and the dying girl. But when he
left her and stopped at the house OF John
jones, on his way home. Jones saw signs Of
the most terrible distress In his face and bis
manner When Ann actually died and was
buried, his grief became frautic; he lost all
selEcontrol, even The consciousness 9faaIe own
identity, and all his New Salem frleHds pro-
especial vigilance during storms, fog, damp
and gloomy weather, iOr fear Of an acci.
dent. At such times he raved piteously. de-
clarlng, among other wild expressions OF his
woe, i eau never be reconciled to nave the
snow, rains and storms beat upon her grave.'"
His Trend, Bowlln Greene. took charge OF
him, and 1t was several weeks before tC was
considered safe to let him 60 back to bis old
haunts and his old emplOymeDts. He was
never precisely the same man again. He had
always been subject to periods OF great men-
tai depression, but after this they were more
frequent aud alarming. It was then that ne
began to repeat the poem which, poor In It.
sell, Is immoralized by his adoption OF lt,
"Oh, why should the spirit OF mortal be
proud" 4 few weeks alter the death OF Ann
RuIledge, her other lover, McNamar, returned
to New Salem; and he seems to have mourned
for her as deeply, If not as wildly, as did LIN
coin. One would perhaps expect OF, grief
like that of Lincoln as passionate c0nstancy;
but dead Is dead. II Ills heart was in Anus
grave, he himself walked the earth, In those
immense boots Of his, very real and not an
ideal man. In 1886. little more than year
after Ann Rutledge's dealh, he saw again
Miss Mary Owens, whom he had met and
somewhat admired three years before. She
was large, handsome, matronly. looking wo-,
man of 28 and ga very different type OF per-
Sun from The gentle, sensitive Ann. Miss owens
seems TO have prlded herself much ON her
sseducalion." which she says was different
from that OF Llncoln;" but her letters are
written in hign-fown. inflated style. which
Is far from convey ny an Impression of super
Tor Intellectual power. Lincoln asked her 10
marry him, but she waited awhile, In order 10
become thoroughly acquainted with him, and
then refused him. She did not think him
course and cruel, but she did think him
thoughtless, careless, not altogether as polite
as he might BIZ; 10 short, as she herself ex-
presses it, deficient In those little links which
b. hQnnt.
ness.n The ''little links" being Of 30. u eat
importance to her, she doubtless decided wise
ly, After this decision, Lincoln was guilty of
the one meanness of his lie, OF which, but for
the researches OF the biographer, we should
have been spared the knowledge. He wrote
u letter to Mrs. D. b. Browning, telling the
story of his acquaintance with Miss. Ovens
in a manner most unfair and and most htmll
iating to the lady. Mr.. Lsmon speaks of
Its publication as "a painful duty.n
1t would have been, 1 think, more
honored In the breach than Ia the observance;
but let us tell The truth, If the heavens fall,
seems to have been his motto. Mr.. Lincoln's
final conclusion was that he should never
marry, since he ''should never be satisfied
with any one who would be blockhead enough
to have him." But neither buried heart nor
wounded pride suff1ced to keep him very long
from The tolls spread Oy feminine nngers. In
1889, Miss Mary Todd came to live with her
sister, Mrs. NDian w. Edwards, at Sprlnfeld,
where Mr.. Liucoln was then established. fhe
was young, just twenty. one, we'll connected,
and, according 10 Mr.. Lamon, "high-bred,
proud, brilliant, witty, and with will that
bent every one else to her purpose" She
seems to have taken captive the future Pres-,
dent the moment she made up her mind 1t
would be expedlent 10 do So
'''Mr. Lincoln was rising politician fresh
from the people, and possessed OF great power
among them; Miss Todd was OF aristocratic
and distinguished family, able TO lead through
the awful portals OF good society," whomso-
ever they cnoose to countenonce. 1t was
thought that union between them ccnld not
fall OF numerous benefits TO both parties. Mr.
Edwards thought so; Mrs. Edwards ougnt
30; and It was not long before Mary TODD her.
self thought 80. She was very ambitious, aud
even before she lett Kentucky announced her
belief that she was destined to he the wife of
some future President For little while she
was courted by Douglas as well as by Lincoln;
but she is said to have refused the Little
Giant 'on account Of his bad morala.' Being
asked which one OF them she Intended 10
have. she answered, The one that has the best
chance of being President She decided 10
favor of Lincoln, and In the opinion OF some
OF her husbands friends, aided 10 no small
extent In the fulHlment oil Lhe prophecy which
the bestowal OF her hand implied"
Mrs. Edwards Miss Todd's sister) says that
Lincoln was "charmed with Mary's wit, and
fascinated with her quick sagacily, her nature
and culture" They We're speedily engaged,
and their marriage was only question OF
time. But somehow The Lincoln love affairs
seem never 10 have been altogether saLislac-
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