The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1872-06-22
NUMBER %.

one who would be blockhead enough to have
him. But neither buried heart nor wounded
pride suffced to keep him very long from the
coils spread by feminine fingers In 1889.
Miss NJ try Todd came to live with her sister,
Mrs Ninian W Edwards, at Spr ing Geld
where Mr. Lincoln was then established. She
was young, Just 81. we'll connected. and ac-
cording 10 Mr.. Lamon, 'high bred, proud,
brilliant; witty; and with will that bent everv
one else TO her purpose" She seems to have
taken captive the iutuue President the moment
she made up her mindit would be expedient
to do so.
Mr. Lincoln was a rising politician. fresh
from the people. and possessed of great power
among them: Miss Todd was of aristoeratic
and distinguished ia mily, able TO lead through
the awful portals of good society," whomsoa
ever they chose 10 countenance. 1t was
thought that union between them could not
thil of numerous benefits to both parties. Mr.
Edwards thought so; Mrs Edwards thought
so; and 1t not long before Mary Todd
herself thought She was very ambitious
and even before she lett Kentucky announced
her belief that she was "destiu ed TO be the
wife of some future President" For a little
" bile she was courted by Douglas as well as
by L.ncor; but she is said 10 have refused
the Little Giant" ''on account of his bad
morals" Being asked which one of them she
intended to have, she answered The CDe
that has the best chance of bting President
She decided in favor of Lincoln. and in the
opinion of some OF her husbands s friends
aided to no small extent in the fuhllment of
the prophecy which the bestowal of her hand
/ implied > .-..r...
t.. Mrs. Edwards Miss Tod6's sister, saws that
Lincoln was ''eharmed with Mary's wit and fas-
culturc." They were speedily Sngaest,d' and
their marriage WIS only question of time
But some how the Lincoln love affairs seem
never TO have been altogether satisfactory. A
Miss Matilda Edwards presently made her aP-
pearance. she was the sister of Mr. Ninian I'd
wards, a fresh young beauty, and her Lincoln
saw, and, seeing, loved. The affair with Miss
Iou,l, according TO the Euwardses- according
to Stuart, according TO HcTndou, according To
Lincoln himself, was policy match' - but this
was loNe NOentle ghost OF sweet Ann Rut-
ledge, did your spirit eyes grow sad) Mr.. Ed
wards tried to marry his sister to Speed, but she
preferred Mr.. Schuyler Strong. and presently
married him. Lincoln had been restrained by
a sense of honor from declaring his passion
thOugh any words OF his would probably have
{ been uttered in vain But DOW conscience as
sailed him. He concluded with great ae ony of
III III l. that ne would De dong MarY Iodd.ErieE-
i1Us wrong were he to marry her when his heart
ha d thus wandered from her. He went TO her
accordingly, and told her the whole story. She
released him from his engagement. and then
some parting endearments followed. and as
the natural result of those endearments, a re-
/ cCnciiiaton. LMoTal-When vou " ish 10 brea x
on your engagement with woman. never kiss
her good bye-l Lincoln ana Mary were again
riage, even the supper. Mr. Lincoln failed to
meet his engagement, the cause being insanity
lis friend took him TO Kentucky and kept him
there until he recovered M-.HerndOu believes
that Lincoln's insanity grew out of "A most 81
traordinary complication OF feelings-aversiOIr
to the marriage proposed, a cuuntcr-attach-
ment 10 Miss Edwards, and a new access Of lIn-
sptalSabie tenderness for the memory of Ann
EVtlCdgc. Bat after his recovery and return
to SprluEtcld I WIS not long before he married
f MISS Todd. She told him that though She hud
released him from the engagement. her own
+ feeling for him remained unchanged. He went
70 see his friend j. .-Mathcny.- said to
{ him, Jim. shall hsve to marry that girl At
another time Lincoln told hlIn that he was
driven into the marriage. that 1t was a thing
Planned by the Edwards family" However,
through weakness, or through tenderness. he
seems to have submitted to his fate: and in
lSi2 Mary Todd became Mrs. Lincoln. MIR. La
man has succeeded quite tOlCrably in proving
him weak, inconStant inl unehivalrous. He
: beStoWS equal energy Ia proving him to have
been uncriS He prints various letters from
. his friends recounting the Htidel sentiments
and speeches of IincOlns youth. and he con
cludeS that while it is very clear that Mr.. Lin
coin was At all times an infidel in the orthodox
sense OF the word, it is al Isl very clear that be
was notataH times equally willing that every
body should know it, He never offered to
purge or recant; but he n willy politician.
ana did not diSdatn to regulate his religious
manifestations with some reference to his po-
litical interests