The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-03-08

ACb l. ilClL IHaHH DO1S III llltSt ud1S
saying: 81 don't like geometry
wonder what good it will do me-" l
once heard very interesting story
about Abraham Lincoln which NAV
help you to understand the good"
Before Mr.. Lincoln was a candidate for
President he made q tour through New
England and lectured in many cities
and towns. Among other places he
spoke in Norwich, Conn. A gentleman
who heard him and was struck with his
remarkable logical power rode the next
day in the cars with Mr. Lincoln to
New Haven. During the ride the fol-
lowing conversation took place:
"Mr. Lincoln, | was delighted with
your lecture last evening""
oh, thank you, but that was not
much of lecture; | can do better than
that"
L have no doubt of it, Mr.. Lincoln;
for whoever can, do so well, must inev-
itably be able to do better"
well, you are good reasoner, aren't
you? That is cute.r
'But that reminds me-" continued
the gentleman, "to ask how you ac-
CURED your wonderful logical power /
have heard that you are entirely self
educated, and it is seldom that find q
selt-educated man who has good sys-
tenn of logic in his reasoning. How did
you acquire such an acute power of
analysis?'
''Well, Mr.. G., win tell you. 1t was
my terrible Encouragement which did
that for ne"
Your disbursement - what do
you mean?'
you see,' said Mr.. Lincoln. "that
when ] was about eighteen years of.age
| went into an office to study law
Well. after little while | saw that
lawyers business was largely to prove
things. And l said to myself: Lin
coin, when is thing proyedP' That
was a poser. | could not answer the
question. What constitutes proof?
Not evidence, that was not the point
There may be evidence enough, but
where consists the proof? You remem-
was tried for some crime, and they
brought half a dozen respectable men
who swore that they saw the prisoner
commit the crime, Well he replies,
'vot of dat? Six men schwears dot dey
saw me do it; | brings more nor two
tozcn gOot men who schwears dey did
not see me do it, So, wherein is the
proofP l groaned over the question,
and finally said to myself: 'Ah Lincoln,
you can't tell ThenI thought: what
use is it for me to be in law-office if [
can't tell when a thing is proved? So
l gave it up and left the office, and
went back home, over in Kentucky"
$50 you gave up the law?'
"Oh, Mr.. g.. don't jump at your con-
illusions; that ism logical. But, really.
/ did give up the law and / thought [
should never go back to it, This was in
the fall Of the year. Soon after re-
turned to the old log-cabin fell in with
copy of Euclid. l had not the slight
est notion what Euclid was, and |
thought would find out. | found out,
but it was no easy job. looked into
the book and found it was all about
lines. angles, surfaces and solids; but 1
could not understand it all. therefore
began, very deliberately, at the begin
ming. | learned the definitions and
axioms. demonstrated the first prop
osition; l said, that is simple enough. /
went on to the next, and the next; and
before spring [ had gone through that
old Euclid's geometry, and could dem
onstrate every proposition like book.
knew it all from beginning to end. You
could not stick me on the hardest Of
them, Then, in the spring, when had
got through with it, | said to myself
one day: All, do YOU know now when
thing is proved? And I answered
,;rrl,F ~ Va -, i
you may go back to the law-shop;' and
/ went. y
Thank you, Mr.. Lincoln, for that
story. You have answered my question.
see now where you found your logical
acumen; you dug it out OF that geom-
etry." ..
YES, I did, often by the light of
pitch-pine knots. But l got it. Nothing
but geometry will teach yo-s the power
of abstract reasoning. Only that will
tell YOU when thing is proved"
Said Mr.. g.: 81 think this is re-
markable incident. How few men
would have thought to ask themselves
the question: When was thing
proved? What constitutes proof? And
how few young men of eighteen would
have been able to master the whole of
Euclid in a single winter, without a teach
er. And still fewer, after they had done
so much, would have realized and ac-
knowledged what geometry had done
for them that it had told them what
proof was"
So, my young friends. you may per-
haps see by this incident what geome-
| try will do for q boy Congregation
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