The New York herald., 1873-12-15
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
Was He an Infidel and Born Out
of WedlCck
a Remarkable Lecture by His Late Law Part.
ner, Colonel Herndon, of Ilinois-An Effort
to Prove That he Died an Unbeliever
in the Truths of Christianity
Mrs. Lincoln's Testimony.

most remarkable lecture N this city, in answer to
lecture delivered here in July last by Rev. James
! A. Reed who claimed that there is well authent-
Gated evidence OF Lincoln having been born in
| wedlock and being believer IN Christianity and
published IN .Scribners Monthly for July. The iol
| loving passages contain the gist OF the lecture
have never said that Mr.. Lincoln had no reg-
ious sentiments-no Christian sentiments. On
the contrary admitted then and do now that
Mr.. Lincoln had religious opinions, ideas and
timents. But the declaration that Mr.. Lincoln had
religious sentiments does not meet the PROPOSE
tion that Mr.. Lincoln died theist-an inhdel-es-
pecally In the orthodox sense OF the term. Much
'believing,n "much hearsayn 'many convc-
tionsn many changes OF heart" much twaddle is
adduced to show that Mr.. Lincoln was Christian.
Proclamations Of Mr.. Lincoln. while President of
the United States are quoted to show that he was
Christian. Mr.. Lincoln was the President OF
Christian people, and he but used their ideas, lam
guage, speech and forms.
so WOULD TOM PAINE
have done had he been President OF this free peo-
pie. | am met with the assertion that if Mr.. Lin
coin had lived he would have become an evangeli-
cal Christian No one knows this; 1t Is mere spec
ulation. mere guessing. Again, am met with the
assertion that Mr. Lincoln's addresses at Bible and
Sunday school societies were eminenty Christian.
When man is invited to address such societies it
Is implied, unless the man reserves the right to
say what he pleases, that he confne himself to
their ideas, notions, feelings and philosophy. To
do otherwise would be an insult and an
outrage on the society," No doubt that
Mr.. Lincoln used polite, courteous general
langu age on sucn occasions, from which Christian
inferences might be drawn. Mr. Lincoln was very
polite, and very shrewd man In some particu-
lars. When ne was talking to a Christian he
adapted himself to the Christian. When he spoke
to or joked with one OF his own kind
HE WAS INDEcENTLY VULGAR.
Hence the different opinions about Mr.. Lincoln's
Christianity and vulgarity. Mr.. Lincoln was chaste
in his ideas and language when 1t was neces-
sary, and when not SO he was vulgar in
his jokes and stories. He was at moments,
as it were, great Christian, through
politeness, courtesy or good breeding toward the
delicate tender-nerved man, the Christian, and in
two minutes alter, in the absence OF such men and
| among his own kind, the same old unbelever. I
have witnessed this, 1t may be Thousand times.
| This conduct OF Mr.. Lincoln was not hypocrtlcal,
| but sprung from high and tender regard Tor the
feelings oil men, When men speak OF Mr. Llncoln'S re-
ligous sentiments they call Them his Christian sem
timents, and combine one with the other. have
often and often said that Mr. Lincoln was by nature
deeply religious man. and | now repeat 1t.
He WAS NOT CHRISTIAN,
/ and now repeat 1t. He was not an unbeliever in
was theist, as said in my Abbott letter. have
| never discussed the question OF
1 LINCOLN'S LEGITIMACY
| in writing, publicly otherwise, and 1t is proba-
BILE never shall. do not think it becomes me TO
do so, whatever may be my opinion. feel this,
| and shall obey my feeling. l should not even
/ have said what | intend to say, but for Mr.. Reeds
lecture. Lean discuss one thing, however. and it
| lively asserts there is "well authenticated eyi-
! dence'' OF the
| MARRIAGE OF THOMAS LINCOLN AND NANCY HANKS,
| and that il is now TO be found in the hands OF
Robert Lincoln; that the said record evidences.
historically marked rhus:-First, Dennis Hanks
i j.
/ 1t was sent by J. q. Black, OF Champaign 10 Will
liam r BLACK attorney a. law 80. Isl Lasaile
! Historical Association OF Chicago, and tnat 1t
thence passed into the hands OF Robert Lincoln,
son OF Abraham Lincoln. state on my best belief
that there is
NO SUCH wELL-AUrHENTIcATED RECORD,
| showing the marriage ofThomas Lincoln and Nancy
| Hanks, now, or ever was. IN the hands OF any OF
| those gentlemen. Isaw leaf OF the Thomas
| Lincoln Bible, which Dennis Hanks tore out. The
| writing OF the marriages, births and deaths was
IN THE HANDWRITING or ABRAHAM LINCOLN,
| or mostly so, as now remember. The record was
| badly worn, broken up into squares OF ABOUT two
inches, having been doubled up and worn out thus
in the pockets OF some one. had great trouble In
taking a good copy. ! borrowed the record Of
! Dennis Hanks or Mr.. Chapman his son-in law, and
| while IN my possession | took copy and, l
verify believe. correct one That record wholly
Lincoln and Nancy Hanks. While looking over it
and copying 1t was struck with astonishment at
Nancy, when saw that most OF the record, If not
the whole OF It, was in the handwriting OF Abra-
RECORDED THE MARRIAGE IF TRUE.
then thought that this omission was one link In
and argued that Mr. Lincoln was illegtimate-the
child OF Abraham Euloe. Can the reverend gentle
man and my myself I, be talking about two records
finding out the truth thus us:-Flrst,
THE RECORD WAS TORN FROM BIBLE.
Second, the record is in the handwriting of Mr..
Lincoln, or mostly SO. Third, 1t commences or
opens as iollows:- Nancy Lincoln was born Feb
ruary r. 1907" and concludes thus:-'Nancy, or
Sarah Lincoln, daughter OF Thomas Lincoln. was
married to Aaron Grigsby August, 1886" took
copy OF this Bible sheet this ..wen authenticated
record" September q and now have it in my hands
Isuppose these records are one and the same
identical; and. Il SO, aver that the reverend gen.
State Tor that Tos TEnSs Lncon Sfsve and fans Sants ss
opening and conclusion, as above given, and he
Will ind the record one and the same. What is
Gated recordo does not fail to state the marriage
OF Thomas Lincoln and Sarah Bush, Thomas Lin
coins second wife. Why not record the first
abraham Lincoln, son OF Thomas Lincoln aud
Nancy Lincoln, was born February II, 1902" Again
| he says NANCY Lincoln, wife OF Thomas Lincoln"
How wife ? But the record wholly falls to record
or to state the marriage of Thomas Lincoln and
Nancy Hanks-by whom, how, when. or where-I
WAS IT By DUMPING THE BRooMsrIcK9"
Was It by mutual consent and agreement between
| the two, somewhat after the fashion of the Tree
| lovers, without form or ceremony The gentle
man boldly asserted that there was well authenti-
Gated evidence OF the marriage OF Thomas Lincoln
| and Nancy Hanks aver that there Is no such
record / aver, on my belief that the gentleman
| misstates the record.
| Returning TO the religion OF the dead President,
| the lecturer said IL affirm that
MR.. LINCOLN DIED AN uNBEL1EvER-
I was not an evangelical Christian. The lecturer
atrms that Mr.. Lincoln was believer in the
Christian religion; was, as II were. an orthodox
CHRISTIAN one side OF this question can be proved.
! 1t is admitted all hands that Mr.. Lincoln once
was an infde, that he wrote small book, or
essay, or pamphlet against Christianity, and that
/ he continued unOellevcr until late IN HE.
| Colonel Herndon here, at considerable length
detailed the testimony OF Mr.. stuart to show that
| Dr. Smith tried to convert Lincoln, and that
| Colonel James II. Matheny had often told him
| (tierndon) that
MR.. LINCOLN WAS AN INFIDEL.
| He admits this IN his letter to Mr.. Reed. Mr. Ma
theny denies nothing in this note--adnits its cor
rectness. He never intimated In that or any other
conversation with me THAI he believed that Mr..