, 1873-06-22


hurn It seemed that the testimony contained IN the
lecture Of permanent value, 1t is here presented
with slight alterations, md with no departure from th9
rhetorical Etylc which determined By tts original
PURPOSE.
TIE LATER LIFE AND RELIGIOUS SENTIMENTS or
ABRAHAM LINCOLN H.,
While the fate and future Of tho Christian re-
igion in no wise depends upon the. sentiments
OF Abraham Lincoln, yot the life and character
of this remarkable man belong to the public, to
tell for evil or for good on coming generations !;
and as tho attempt has been to impute to him
the v1lest sentiments, even to his dying day, it is
fitting and Just that the weakness and lnddoiity
charged upon his later life should not so down
unchallenged to posterity. The latest biography
OF Mr. Lincoln, published under the nano Of
Col. ". Fl. Ldmon, but with tho largo co-opera-
ton Of lI. n. q. Herndon, CONCERTS itself With
the endeavor to establish certain allegations In
furious to the good name OF that iuustrious mai,
whose tragic aud untimely death has consecrated
his memory in the hearts OF grateful nation.
two charges in this biography arc worthy OF es-
pecia notice and disproof-the charge that he
Was born bastard, ind the charge that he died
an inf1del. Mr.. Lamon begins bis pleasing task
by raising dark and unsound insinuatons rs to
the legitimacy Of his hero, and then occupies
from twenty-five to thirty pages to provo that
Mr. Lincoln was confirmed inAdel, and died
"playing q sharp game on the Christian commu-
nifty !" that in his "morbid ambition for popu-
larity," be would say good Lord and good Devil,
!" "adjusting his religious sentiments to his polit
cal interests" In meeting these insinuations
and charges, shall necessarily haze recourse to
political documents and papers, but it shall no
ho IN 1a Mr. T,inro}1 1offfira1 orr-
ions, further than to eliminate from bis writings
nnd speeches his religious sentiments.
As to the ungracious inEinuation that Mr. Lin
coin was not the child of lawful wcdlock, have
only to say that it is IN insinuation unsupported
by shadow Of justifable evidence. The only
thing on which Mr. Lamon bases the inslnua-
ton is that he las been unable to find any record
Of the marriage OF Mr. Linco1n's parents. Just
as il it would be any evidence against the fact
Of their marriage It no record could DO found
every man in this country is to be considered as
i1cgitimate who cannot produce his parents
certificate OF marriage, or find record
of it in family Bible anywhere, there
will bo good many very respectable
people In tho came category with Afr.
Lincoln. Such an ipsinuation might DO raised
with as much plarsibility In the case Of multi
tudes Of the early settlers of the country. It is
questionable act OF friendship thus to rake
=" the short and simple annals OF the poor" and
upon such slender evidence raise an ineinua-
ton 80 unionnded- But I am prepared to
show that il Mr. Lamon has found no record
OF the marriage of Mr. Lincoln's parents, it
is simply because he has not extended his re-
searches as faithfully in this direction as ho has
in aome others. It appears that there is o well
Lincoln and Nancy Hanks. and, in the samo con-
nection, tile birth Of Abraham Lincoln and Sarah
Lincoln. Hearing that the Hon. j. C. Black, of
Champaign, H., . warm personsl friend Of Mr.
Lincoln, had in his POSSESSION several papers,
given to him soon after Mr.. Liucoln's death bv
3 member Of tho family, and among them leaf
from the family Bible containing the record Of
the marriage OF Mr. Lincoln g parents. I ut once
telegzaphed to him in relation to this record, aud
have in my possession the following letter,
which will explain ITSELF
CHAMPAIGN, III, Jan. s. 1873.
DEAR Sir !: Tour telegram of the 9Th reached me
posses.on @ Of the is Of Which p you spsat snd wheh
contained the record OF the marriage OF Thos. In
coin and Nancy Hanka the birth Of Abraham Lincoln
and Sarah Lincoln The leaf Is very old and is this last
page Of the Apocrypha. It Wis given to me- with Ger
tlcate OF genuinences, by Dennis F. Hznks in 1885,
Black, attorney At hw, 1a1 Lasale street, Chicago,
Ill., and duly By him delivered to the Illinois Histori
cal Association: The Hon- I, n Arnold called on my
edition OF his Efe of Lincoln, and understand that
since then they have passed into the hands Of Robert
Lincoln, Esq, where they were when last
may be Of some n'' remain very ray E. S'95s B14on
Presuming that The h-s. OF Col. Lannon's IL
bells upon Mr. Lincoln's memory ia thus Buf-
charges against his religious life and character
LES on the pages OF the book in
which they are advanced. However skop-
tieal Mr. Lincoln may hare been in
his earlier life, Mir. Lamon persists in asserting
confirmed skeptic to the last; that he was m
unbeliever in tho truth of the Christian religion,
and died an inddel that, while she was By no
means free from a kind Of belief in the super
natural, he rejected the great facts Of Chris
tianity as wanting tho support Of authentic
evidence;" that during al the time of his
residence at Springfield and in Washington, he
never let fall from his lips an expression which
remotely implied the slightest faith in Jesus
Christ, aa the Son Of God and tho Savior Of
From twenty-five to thirty pages OF evidence is
produced in proof Of this allegation. +. .
have been amazed to find that the principal
persons whose testimony is given in this book to
prove that their old friend lived and died ID in
fdel, never wrote word OF it, and never gave
it as their opinion or allowed it to be published
as covering their estimate OF Mr. Linco1n's life
and religious views. They we're simply fami1-
larly interviewed, and their testimony misrepre-
sented, abridged, and distorted to suit the pur-
poses Of the interviewer, aud the business he
had on hand.
The two gentlemen whcse namcs are most re-
lied upon, and who stand first on the list Of Wit
nesses to establish the charge these biographers
haTe made, are the Hon. John T. Stuart and
Col James H: Matheny, Of Springfield, old and
Intimate friends OF Mr. Lincoln.
The Hon. John T. Stuart is nn e1-member Of
Congress, and Vas Mr. Lincoln's first law partner
"A gentleman Of the highest standing aud ability
in bis profession, and Of unimpeachable III
tegTity. Alr. Lamon has attributed to Mr:
Stuart testimony Of the most disparaging and
damaging to Mr. Lincoln's character and opin-
which 1Ir. Stuart utterly repu-
dates, both rs to language and sentiment, IS
the following letter shows:
SPRINGFIELD, Dte. II, 1872.
The Rev. J. 4. Rced:
DEAR SIR: Ny attention has been called to state
ment in relation to the religious opinions Of NJ LIP
cofn purpordng to have been made By me, and pub
shed In Lamon's Life Of Lincoln. The language Of
That statement Is not 1tne; it not written by me,
md did not Sec 1t until It WIS in print.
WIS ouee interviewed on the subject Of har Lin
coin religious opinions, aud doubtless said that Mr
Lincoln was in the earlier part Of his life an tnddei
roUd not have said that "Dr. Smith tried to convert
T51o1f $rrr, 4rH1 f.$~ nd