Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1874-07-17
Mr.. LINCOLN on NEGRO LOGIC.
President Lincobis irrepressible

President Lincobl's irrepressible
penchant for relating humorous anec
dotes, and his frequent application Of
them to the affairs Of the most grave
and weighty consequence, are pro-
verbal. This cxnberaht flow of viva
cious metaphorical. wit seemed to issue
from perennial source, and as his
stories for the most part were fresh
and decidedly unique, it has been con.
jectured by some that may have been
the conceptions of. a prolific magma
ton, induced by the spontaneous voli-
ton OF the moment and not actual Oc-
currences. However this may have
been, it is quite certain that they were
uniformly opposite, as well as tOrcible
illustrations Of his sentiments.
/ have writes distinguished mill
tary correspondent OF the ..Drawern)
q recollection that upon one occasion
when happened at the White House.
just previous to the PRONUNCIATION OF
the emancipation proclamation, Mr..
Lincoln observed to prominent pro-
slavery man present the subject had
been under consideration for some
time, and he was fully impressed with
the conviction that it would prove the
most prompt and efIicacicus method
Of terminating hostilities, besides be-
ing an act Of justice to the negroes.
The other begged to differ from him
as to the wisdom Of the policy of inn
mediate universal emancipation, re-
marking that, III his Judgment, the
decided preponderance of the animal
over intellectual faculties, as developed
i'll the organization Of the African
craniCm, rendered the race ethnolog-
ically so far beneath the white man in
reasoning and mental faculties that it
would be unsafe to intrust the former
with the unrestricted exercise of the
elective franchise, or with plenary par
ticipation in legislation or other i'm
portant governmental functions.
The President admitted that the
blacks had as yet received very little
political or parliamentary training,
yet he had known instances going to
shcw that they were by nature singu-
larly astute and logical reasoners-
ulnAeed.n added he, "when | was
small boy, living III Kentucky, some
of the more intcllicentsslayes in our
started sort cf dialect
association for debating questions of
interest to them; and once attended
one Of their periodical meetings., upon
which occasion the following was
enunciatcd one Of the subjects for dis
cussion: ''If q certain hen lay ten
eggs, and different len sits upon ard
matches out tlose eggs; which of tic
two fowls is entitled 10 the maternity
Of the chickcns?n The meeting was
duly organized, and the subject most
thoroughly canyassed in al its mag
inaDle phases and bearings, and the
pros and cons had been well exhaust
ell, and the presiding officer was about
decision upon the merits Of
the arguments, when an antiquated
individual who was seated upon bar
rel in remote corner OF the apart
mcnt suddenly rose to his feet, and in
a tremulous a. d cracked bat ludicrous,
solemn intonation Of voice, prOpeund-
ed the following startling interroga-
tory: But Mis'er President, s'pcsin'
dem eggs what dat udier hen hotch
out, be duck eggs! Den dis niger like
for to know, ef de has plaze, whom
am de mu.ltler oh dc chickens =
"This at first seemed poser to the
umpire, but, after q moments hesita-
ton, he replied, Dat venerable pus-
son, my ';ickler frien' Mis'er Jeemes,
will plaze for to presume his bari, as
de duck eggs am not in de following
words: dc pedigree OBJ dc fowl spe-
Gle am ginerally nonstrous onsartin,
an de ticker birds. what dc siety been
cussin' on dis kashun am reriently
more onsartincr nur de generality oh
de hen genus. Mabby dis yer chicken
cot ten faders; den ag'in, mabby SO
he hadn't got but one; but dat he hab
two mudders am, in de 'pinion OBJ dis
char sartin, sure.'"