The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1883-10-13
NEW VIEWS OF LINCOLN.
A letter from his Former Lao Part.
Nef.

LincOlu'S life which is not generally
known, nor will it be believed readily
by the multitude ; and yet it will be
true to the letter and spirit of his life.
He was said to he IL very simple. mind
ed man, devoid of tho silences aud am
billions Of life. He was simple in his
dress and manners. simple in his ap-
preach and in his presence. Though
this be true, he was u mar Of quite in
finite ~silences. He was thoroughly and
deeply %secretive, uncOmmunicative and
close minded, Il. to his plans. wishes
hopes and fears. His ambition was
never satisfied ; in him it was II con-
suming fire which smothered his fner
feelings. He Was skepticai, cautious
and terribly secretive, %cOnfinding his
plans aud purposes, ambitions and ends
to no man. l have known men in II
Office to listen for a short while and then
exciaim : "Oh, what simple minded
man is MIR. Lincoln SO plain ! so un-
ambitious! SO contiding !" and tho
like, when Mr.E Lincoln's mind was
not in our office bnt "n IL hot chase for
the end SO devou,ly to ,be wished. Of
all Americans he was. most emphati
cally, a man Of the protoundest. widest
and deepest policies. He had his burn
ing and consuming ambition, but he
Kept his secrets aud opened not.
An interviewer. once went to Mr..
LincOln's oOm in the White House
while he was President, and said !:
"Mr. President. what do You think of
the war and its end Z" To which Mr..
Lincoln replied ''That question of
yours puts ME in mind of a story about
something which happened down in
Egypt, in the Southern part of Illinois,"
The point of it Was IL man badly burn
ed his fingers in being in too much
haste. Mr.. Lincoln told the story adj
mirably we'll, walking up and down
the room and most heartily laughing
all tho while. The interviewer saw
the point coming at him like the sting
end of a hornet. As a matter of course
he was cut to the quick, and quickly
down stairs he rushed with an oath in
his mouth. saying he would .'never in
terview that man again." He was rs
good as his word, and never tried to in
terview the President again. And
thus it always was with Mr.. Lincoln.
The man who tried to pump him al
ways found a shut safe, we'll locked,
the key lost. If a man was ever
created in this world who did not let
MS right hand know what his left hand
dld or was doing, it was Abraham Lin
coin. He was a profound, marvellous
n mysterious man to the great major
1ty of men. Judged the man by his
q~uestionings, his manner. his nervous
ness. his unrest and the play of his fea
lures, With their %colors, giving a signi-
ficance to his thoughts aud his wishes,
. minds revelation to mind.
While | say that Mr.. Lincoln was am
0ltlous. secretive and somewhat selfish
DO not infer from those words that he
was a dishonest man, nor an ~insincere
man. nor a hypscrite, o a mean man,
nor a base man. He was, on the con
trary, full of honesty, integrity. sinceri
ty, open, fair and candid. when ;speak.
ing or acting. He was for Lincoln al
ways, but always with Lincoln's intense
honesty. Mr.. Lincoln was a wise man,
q shtewd man. long-headed man full
OF his own policies. He was a margi
nal man, always leaving a wide blank
on his paper. SO that the future might
write the future lessons thereon. MIR.
Lincoln hated speculation, had no
cranks, was not visionary and imprac
ticable. He had relatively no magma
ginatlon and no fancy. was material
and purely pratical. He had one of the
very best balanced heads in America,
and it Was poised well:on..h.s shoulders.
Henry Clay vas his ideal statesman. q
purely material and practical man. Mr.
Lincoln's mind was purely logical, and
he followed his conclusion to the ulti
Mate end, though the world perished.