, 1874-03-13


condition aa excellent. Tho crop is not at all
Injured bv stress O. woathor, and that earliest
Gown looks very promising.
L1NC0LN'S RELIGIOUS BELIEF.
Ootter from Vnrd N. Lnmon to Henry
Ward GaUcOhcrs -...
MAnr1ssuuno, ". Va, JAn. 81, 1874.
Rsp. HtnrN Tard Bceeher:
hY DEAn 8IR. At the tino Of its publication
my attention waa directed to a "Royicw Of tho
Lifo OF Lincoln" which appeared In tho Oh,7s-
1an Union, IN July, 1879. This papor was by
many attributed to your non; 1t certainly must
haTe rpcoived your editorial sanction.
I do not conceal tho fact that aotno Of its orti-
aftor no ittlo doltboraton, that ii was Iottor 70
submit IN silence to whatovor might DO said or
written Of TINT biography. To this determine
ton have heretofore adhered worry strictly, and
may oct very unwiHoly in departing from 1t
now. It happens. however, TINT coriain lectures
dolivorcd by Alr. Herndon, Of Illinois, hnyo TO-
moved Tho discussions OF Mr. Lfnuoln's religious
belief; incident to that discussion somo Of tho
1tttereBt onelnteB Of my own havo taken ocoas.
lou to renew their assaults upon mo for what
Bary for mo to record IN regard to so important
an element In Mr.. Linooln'a character. /.
They could have no connection with this 1otter
wero 1t not that In this assault upon my oharao-
WE Lo$ QhfQ NultIl9a Lll0 authority Ol tuD CHt0n
to sustain ono Of thoir most unjust chargos. I
rotor to that portion Of the review which touches
Upon my own Religious belief. . 3.
In your oommout upon TINT part Of tho hogra-
ply which treats Of Afr. Lincoln's religion, you
Bay: IA certain doubt is cast uron Ills areu-
mont BY tho heartiness Of it., va cannot avoid
m impression that m anti Christian animus in
spires him." and you further sny, How far
was Lincoln religious man, ho docs not know,
in that he does not know what Lincoln WAS, nor
I1tnx +1151 1+t- faf ~ - II
Mr: lincoln waB must take loave to contradict
With some emphasis; that I do know
wllnt roltgion is, in tho proscnco Of 30
many i!lustrious failures to comprehend it's
truo character, I may bo permitted to
this foature OF bis character, I express tho do
cidod opinion that 10 was an emtueutly moral
man, the symmetry OF his conduct being marred
by tho single blomlsh which gave to his conyor-
Batiop at timos ao,no taint Of indcconoy, II not
with my viows upon the. relations existing be-
tween tho two characteristics, have no difficult
ty IN believing him to have boon q moral man.
Yot ho was not Ulr,stian. He possessed. It is
ono which orthodox Christianity sstlgmatizoa as
IN tho original MS. on this subioct
was somewhat Of this character, viz:
It surely cannot be difficult matter to determine
haYo been Sincere for sincerity ono Of lie rst Of
ohg!stsn vrtues and Il sncere 10 mst hnye availcd
feBsion Of bis faith, baptism In his nane and MEM
bership Of his Church.
Did Mr. Lincoln do thls7 No ono rrotenas
that he did, and those that maintain that ho Was
may be a Christian and not keop ono Of the
plainest commandments that ho may fol-
low JcsuB yet dony HIM; that he
may bo ashamed to own hia Redcomer
and yet claim his intorcesston that he may
knowledging nothing. repenting nothing. Whom
It is established by tho Testimony Of the Chris
tian ministry that sinners may enter hoavon by
broad back gate like this, few will think It
worth while to continue IN Tho strait aud narrow
would canonize Mr. Lincoln as saint e'lould
canse and reflect D brief moment upon the incal-
culable injury they do tho causo which most Of
them profess to love. The dellcation Of prof.
ecnso OF decent heathon, but. what is to be-
como Of tue Christian Church when mere
politicians, who mover so much as pretended
to accept single one Of tho loast important
precopts, aro thrust into the highest places In
tho calendar of saints? This is saorilege. I
tic. He entertained tho belief that the Holy
Scriptures were not OF divine inspiration. On
this point his mind had reached . fixed aud un-
nlterable decision Ha was an inAdol, and rested
~! u4h 4k HuuIu ColtA4u4J uaf0 Do0u
pleasant to mo to have closed the chapters Of his
biography without touching upon his religious
opinions; but such an omission would have vio-
1atcd the fundamental principle upon which ev-
cry line OF the book was traced. Had it bocn
possible to have truthfulIy asserted that he was
= member Of tho Church of Christ. or that ho
believed in tho toachlngs of tho Now Testament,
tho facts would havo beon proclaimed with o
glow Of earnest and unfeigued satisfaction.
como now to complain Of tho injustice which
you havo dono mo personally when you say that,
The heartiness of Ills arguments upon Mr..
Lineoln'H religion casts oertain doubt upon it.
aud leaves tho impression that be was inspired
by an anti Christian animus." Pardon nc,
my dear sir; although not d protesting Chris
tian myself, may say TINT tew mon possess .
deeper vonoration for the Christian religion and
all that tho orthodox Church regards as sacred
than tho humble individual whom you make tho
subject of your somewhat soyero criticism.
may not alwaya employ tho language which
would bcst declare my meaning, but when so
many very good people n piouB and loyal zeal
sought to mako their idol (and I might say ymine)
deyout and rigid Chiistian, doomed it unjust
to h,m and injurious to Christianity itself 10
permit such an error to pass without correction
and rafutation. .. WAND Fl. LAMoN.