Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1882-08-04
LINCOLN,S COURTSRIP.
An Engagement Which Unsettled His
Mind and Tempted Him to suicide.

Mind and Tempted Him to suicide.
Mrs. Lincoln. nee Miss Mary Todd,
was born in 1878, and was consequent
~ "a years of age at her death. She
was the daughter of Hon. Robert s.
Todd, Of Lexington, KY, was well edu-
Gated ard enjoyed all the advantages
ofthe best society of her time. In her
infancy she lost her mother, and her
early education was entirely entrusted
to the care of a French lady, who re-
sided opposite the Henry Clay home
stead. In 1889, not liking to live with
stepmother, she came to Springfield,
to reside with a married sister, Mrs.
Ninian w. Edwards, who offered her
all the Inequalities of their home.
Ward III. Lamon, in his biography of
Abraham Lincoln, says that when she
came to SIP ringield, she was just 81,
'gifted with rare talents, had keen
sense of the ridiculous, a ready insight
into the weaknesses of individual char
acter, and most fiery and ungoverna-
bic temper. Her tongue and her pen
were equally sharp. High bred, proud,
brilliant, witty, and with will that
bent everyone else to her purpose, she
took Mr.. Lincoln captive the very mo-
ment she deemed it expedient to do
So"
Miss Todd was of aristocratic and
distinguished parentage, able to lead
any one she pleased into the highest
circles of the society of her time. She
saw in Honest Abe Lincoln" as he
was then popularity styled, rising pol
itician, and she and her friends were
mr. ~ LONE 1,,n opo1,,li1~~ L.
an suspicious marriage. For some
time she was courted by Douglas as
well as Lincoln, but she is said to have
refused the Little Giant" on account
of his bad morals. Being asked which
one of them she intended to have, she
answered: "The one that has the best
chance of being president" A friend
of hers had married an elderly gentle
man, giving as her reason that he had
"lots of horses and gold" Mary Todd
heard this remark, and answered with
some spirit that she "would rather
marry a good man, man of mind,
with hope and bright prospects ahead
for position and fame and power than
to marry all the horses, gold and homes
in the world" From her first meeting
with Lincoln he frequently sought her
society and would remain for hours
listening to her conversation. Yet he
was never, at least before his marriage,
drawn toward her by sentiment of
love. ALI who were intimate with him
at this time concur in the opinion that
it was "policy match" He subsequent
ly met several ladies' for whom it was be-
lieved he entertained deep affection,
but his love affairs were never destined
to run smoothly. One day he wrote a
letter to Miss Todd, boldly declaring
that he did not love her, and asking to
be released from the engagement. A
friend to whom he entrusted this letter
refused to deliver it or give it up to its
author. Mr.. Lincoln then called on
Miss Todd, and made to her the start
ling communication. They parted up
on terms of strong friendship, and were
soon reconciled. The engagement was
renewed, the day set for the wedding,
and all preparations made, even to the
supper. Mr.. Lincoln failed to meet
his engagement, and the cause as
signed was insanity. During an entire
year, it is said, Mr.. Lincoln was insane,
his insanity growing out of his pro-
posed marriage and counter attach
ment for a Miss Edwards. He did not
attend the legislature that year, but
was taken to Kentucky by his friend
Speed, who chung to him until he re-
covered.
During that time Speed said he had
to remove from him razors, knives and
all arms, for fear that he would COM
nit suicide. Lincoln admitted that
there were times when he contemplat-
ed selfdestruction. About this time
he wrote some gloomy lines entitled
Suicide" which were lost. He la
mented that his life was useless to the
world, said it was his great desire to do
something that would rebound to the
interest of his fellow men," This ne
| finally did in a manner that stamped
his name in imperishable letters
among the benefactors humankind.
Mr.. Lincoln was married to Miss
| Todd on the 4th of November, 1912.
Their married life could not be happy.
He knew this, and felt that in taking
the marriage VOW he was doing Miss
Todd and himself All irreparable
wrong. Yet he felt that by bestowing
his attention upon her three years and
by plighting his troth with her he had
bound himself in obligations which he
must fulfill. They were married with
their eyes open, each knowing the 9TH
er well, and they suffered the inevita-
BILE consequences of an unfortunate
union. He was frequently gloomy
while at home, though full of fun and
constantly telling anecdotes when
among his friends. There is no doubt
but the circumstances of his gloomy
feelings had muo h to do with unsettling
her mind and was the cause of many OF
her eccentricities while mistress of the
white house. Many of her friends at
tribute Lincoln's success in politics
largely to her influence. His friend
Herndon, in letter to one of his biog-
raphers, in speaking of the unfortunate
marriage, says: "All that I knew en-.
mobiles them both"