Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1874-03-27
Lincoln. Personal Characteristic.
The following letter has been received by
a gentleman of New York from W. II.
Herndon, formerly Mr.. Lincolns law part
CH1NKAPIN, Saratoga Co, /
January II. 1874.


CH1NKAPIN, Saratoga Co,
January Is, 1874.
Dear Sir You say you desire 10 know
all possible things of the good and great
dead. have just now a few moments 10
spare, and I do not know how better TO
spend them than to tell you what Mr.. Lin
coin really was and what he was not. Mr..
Lincoln was a kind, tender, and sympa-
thetic man, feeling deeply in the presence
OF suffering, pain, wrong or oppression in
any shape; he was the very essence and
substance OF truth; was of unbounded
veracity, had unlimited integrity, always
telling the exact truth and always doing
the honest thing at all times and under all
circumstances. He was just to men he
loved the right, the good and true with all
his soul. l was with Mr.. Lincoln for about
25 years, and can truthfully say I never
knew him to do a wrong thing, never
knew him TO do a mean thing, never knew
him TO do any little dirty trick. He was
always noble. In his nature he felt n0bly
and acted nobly. l never knew so true a
man. so good one, so just a one, so un-
corrupted and so incorruptible one. He
was patriot and loved his country well
and died for it. Mr.. Lincoln expressed
his great feeling in his thoughts, and bis
great thoughts in his feelings; he lived in
his thoughts, and thought in his feelings.
BY these his soul was elevated and purified
for his work. His work was the highest
aud grandest religion, noble duty nobly
| done.
Mr.. Lincoln was cool and calm under
the most trying circumstances he had un-
bounded charity for all men. In religion
he was Theist, somewhat after the order
| Of Theodore Parker. Mr.. Lincoln was not
a speculative minded man; was, like
Washington, severely practical; he never
ran in advance of his age, and yet was al
ways directing the ideas and feelings OF
men to purely practical ends, TO something
that would end in good.
Mr.. Lincoln never shaped his veracity,
integrity or virtue TO circumstances he
fashioned and formed circum stances, so far
as he could, 10 virtue, veracity, and TO in
tegrity. He scorned mcanness everywhere
and at all times, aud was bold and manly
in his denunciation of wrong, however and
by whoever done he was not foxy, tricky
tricks. How such a man as Lincoln could
walk up to the highest point OF human
grandeur, from such low origin, God on
ly knows. Bat so 1t was ordained from
the beginning, and so it is.
Mr.. Lincoln was a man of great fidelity
to what he believed was right-was true 10
friends never deserting them till they de-
serted virtue, veracity and integrity. Mr..
Lincoln could be, and was, trusted by peo-
pie with almost omnipotent power, and he
never abused it nor shook the public faith
in him. He was true 10 his trust, true to
his country and true to the rights of man.
What noble man, and what noble life
he lived! Washington was Americas
creator; Lincoln was its savior. Mr.. Lin
coin now stands up against the deep blue
| sky the grandest figure OF the age.
have now stated 10 you Mr.. Lincoln's
leading characteristics. and IL you like him
better for them I am well satisfied with
what l have told you. l have weighed
every word and sentence, and can truly
say they are true to Lincoln and Lincoln
true to them. Mr.. Lincoln was not very
social man. He was not spontaneous in his
feelings; was, as some said, rather cold /; he
was rather reilective-not cold. However,
take him all in, he was as near a perfect
man as God generally makes.
Yours, truly, w. II. HERNDoN.