Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-04-22
Lincoln on Negro Logic.

President Lincoln's irrepresslble pen
chant fer narrating humorous anecdotes,
and his frequent application OF them to af-
fairs of the most grave and welghty con-
sequence, are proverbial-
This exuberant flow of vivacious meta
phorical wit seemed to issue from peren-
nial source. and rs his stories for the most
part were fresh and decidedly unique. it
has been coniectured by some that they
NAV have been the conceptions of a prolific
Imagination. induced by the spontaneous
volition of the moment, and not actual oc-
currences. However this may have been.
if i quite certain that they were uniformly
apposite. rs well as forcible illustrations of
his sentiments
| have (writes distinguished military
correspondent of the drawer) Il vivid rec
objection that upon one occasion happen
ed at the White House, Just previous to
the PRONUNCIATION of his Emancipation
Proclamation. Mr.. Lincoln observed To Il
prominent pro-slavery man present that the
subject had been under consideration Tor
some time. and he was fully impressed
viii, elr,- .i... .. would prove the
most prompt and efficaciOus method of ter
minatin" hostilities besides being an act
of Justice 10 the negroes. The other beg
oed to differ from him as Ia the wisdom of
thr policy of immediate universal emanci-
patton. remarking that, in his Judgment,
The decided prepondcrance of the animal
over the Intellectual faculties. rs developed
in the ORGANIZATION of the African Uranium,
rendered that race ethnologically so far
beneath the white man in reasoning and
other mental faculties that 1t would be
unsafe to intrust the former with the unre-
stricted exercise of the elective franchise,
or with plenary participation in Legislation
or other important governmental functions
The President admitted that the. blacks
had as vet received but little political or
parliamentary training, yet he had known
instances going to show that they were by
nature singularly aStute and logical rea-
soners. Indeed added he, when i
was a small boy. living in Kentucky, some
of the more Intelligent slaves in our neigh
borhood started IL sort of dialectic associa-
ton for debating questions OF interest to
them: and | once attended one OF their
periodical meetings, upon which occasion
the following was enunciated us the subject
for discussion: If hen lays ten eggs,
and a different hen sits upon and matches
out those eggs. which of the two fowls is
entitled to the maternity of the chickens
The meeting was duly organized. and the
subject most thoroughly canvassed in all
its imaginable phases and bearings, until
the pros and cons had been well exhausted,
and the presiding officer was about render
ing his decision upon the merits OF the ar
sument. when an antiquated individual
who was seated upon barrel in a remote
corner of the apartment. suddenly rose to
his feet. and in a tremulous and cracked
but ludicrouslv solemn intonation OF voice,
/ propounded the following startling inter
roqatory: But, Mis'er President, s'posin
dera> eggs what dat dar ole hen lay. an lie
! oHdeniical eggs what dat dar udder hen
she hot>h out, be duck eggs. Den dis mig
ger like for to know. ef de char plaze, who
am de mudder oh de chickens?
! This at first seemed a poser TO the UNI
pire, but after moments hesisstion he
replied. Dat venerable pusson, my tick
ler frien' Mis- er Jeemes, will place fur to
presume his barl, as de duck eggs am not
in de oueschum fur dis ebenin.' He then
concluded III the following words: De
pedegree oh de fowl specie am ginraily
monstrous onsartin, an de 'tickler birds
what de s'iety been cussin' on dis 'kashum
am perientlv more onsartiner nur de GIN
ralty ob de hen genus. Mabby dis yere
! got ten faders; den. ag'in, mabby SO he
/ hain't got but one; but dat dar he hab two
mudder am, in de 'pinion oh dis char. sar-
tin sure '"-EDIToR's DRAWER, in Hdr-
pcr's Magazine for Nay.