Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-01-16
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
Some Peculiar Traits In the Character of
the Dead President.
From lie Ne1e YORK. star.

%, 1915. But an equally memorable coin
Cidence may be found within the limits Of
our own century, when the same day
almost the same hOur-witnessed the
birth of the most famous character in the
political history Of the nineteenth CEN
fury, and also OF the most ilustri0us
Scientist. On Feb. -, 1909, the Ola W orld
presented to mankind the immortal
Apostle of pure science, Charles Darwin;
the New World, not to be- behnGhand in
acts OF such unparalleled Importance to
the human race, conferred upon the chill
dren of men that new birth Of our new
Soil, the first American" Abraham Lin
coin.
Mr.. N. II. Herndon, LincOln's lifelong
law partner, and for quarter OF centu-
ny mis- most intimate personal friend, still
survives, a citizen of Springfield, Ill. Il
is safe to say that no person is living, no
person ever lived, who was more thor
Oughly acquainted with the private char
acter of President Lincoln. In a recent
conversation which the writer had with
Mir. Herndon, regarding Mr.. Isaac n. Ar
nold's biography Of Lincoln, Nj. II. eX-
pressed general satisfaction, after cas-
ual reading, with the manner in which
the writer had executed his task but
with regard to one statement of Mr.. Ar
nOld's, the Presidents partner was SO
particularly surprised that be wrote out
his impressions thereof at length,
aud gave them TO the writer
with permission TO publish. He says
Mr. Arnold in his life OF Lincoln saws
that he was a good cOnVersatiOnalist. If
Mr.. Arnold means that DIR. Lincoln was
good tdEker on disconnected subjects that
are generally known and familiar to the
people, then it may be that Lincoln was a
good tdtkeT. II Mr.. Arnold means that
Mr.. Lincoln could hold lengthy CONVEX
sation, continued and Weii-sustained, on
high and advanced subjects in human
thought IN such manner as to en-
chain his listeners, then Dir. Ar
mold is totally mistaken. If you
were to let Mr.. Lincoln choose mis-
ROwn grOunds-his own subjects on which
Ito chat and joke with friends, all Of whom
Me l1eH kRelC, then Mr.. Lincoln was good
Mchatter talker, but he never was good
NcOuversationaHst. lie was not general
Treader - knew comparatively nothing
lsabOut literature, science, art and the like.
He was familiar with the political history
8Ol his country, and tnat is all. In this
field he was good tslser and outside OF
lit poor cOnYersal0nallst. His ideas
#were clean cut and sharp, and his Ian
Ngnage clear, simple. direct and plain; but
with all this granted, Mr.. Lincoln was
4never noted among cultured men and
NWOmen as gOOd c0nFeTsatiOnalist. Nor
Twas Mr.. Lincoln nOved here as a good lis
ttener. Whenever he entered the field Of
Atafk he always tool the lions share of
Atime, and when be was through ne moved
IL on to fields to settls down in gloom. Ia
the field OF Stories snd jokes he was the
master man, having here no competitor
= and no rival. His stories and Jokes had
q magnetic point o. sting to them."
Touching MIR. LiAcOln's opinion as to
the value OF biographies ia general, Mr..
Herndon related an aueedote Of such rare
lpoint and perfection that / am tempted to
reproduce it. sit Was, l think about
1867 said Mr.. HerldOn, chat imported
from my EuraYean look buyers Life of
= llS.sl4-Ikes: ~, two Volumes. then recently
published. I was unusually impressed
with the merit OF the work and one day
said to my partner: MI. Lincoln,
don't you want to read a good life Of
Burke, the English ststesmanY His re-
plY was characteristic. NO, | do not
care to read any biography. The world
has never seen a real life of a great man.
j have read one or two Of these sO-cahed
lives, aud found then 80 full Of lies and
legends that | shall never read another.
Why don't publishers have blank blO2ra-
phies for sale, SO tat the public when
they buy one can tIl it out to suit their
whims.'" This males one regret that
Mr.. Lincoln could not have lived to see
FrOude writing mis- lie of CARLYLE and Mr..
John Cardy JeatfresCn producing a series
OF real lives. In regard to what two
volumes Lincoln referred to, / learned
that they were PROBABLY life Of Wash
ington and Wirts life Of Patrick Henry.
The latter work LiaeOln ridiculed and re-
garded as fabulous,
Tne following series of questions pro-
pounded to MIR. HendOn, and mis- answers
thereto, may prove OF interest to readers
Question: hen did Lincoln hrst be-
come subject to TITS OF deep dependency
AHswer-At the time of the death of
Ann Rutledge. to whom he was engaged.
Her death affected him exactly as the
Kings murder and Ophelias obstinacy
4 affected Hamlet. ItcOmpletely unhinged
I him For time he was crazy and under
fhe particular care of Mr.. Speed, his Ken
lucky friend. 1t was about this time that
be first came across and learaed knOX's
poem, 30 why should the spirit Of mortal
be prOud?'
Q.-What was the meanest thing you
know of Lincoln's doing?
Al shall not say. l am the sole de-
positary OF my secret, and 1t shall die
with me.
Q.-Was Lincoln much given to admira-
tion of others?
Ell A.-NO, he was not. Odd man, odd
mau, odd man in that respect. | never
heard him speak warmly Of any great
man. BE never uttered anything dispar-
aging of any one. lie seldom spoke
eulOgistieally of any person. Although
ia the Republican Campaign Text Book"
OF 1850 there is letter of LincOln's IN
which he spoke graHdhOquently Of the au-
thor OF the Declaration OF Independence
vet on the whole l know be did not like
jefferson. Why did Lincoln refuse 10
subscribe TO the praises Of great men that
others willingly rendered? Was it ieal-
ousy or indifference / do not know.
Yet think it was a certain kind OF ieal-
Ousy--i. e., Lincoln would look at no man
as being as big as himself
Q.-Then, was Lincoln ambitious?
"A more ambitious mau never lived.
His ambition was consuming, remorse-
less, Unsuitable, but never "overleaped
itself" lie was candidate for every
position in this State from village trustee
10 the Presidency Of the United States.
yet strangely coupled with this unequaled
ambition was an absolute incapacity for
doing or designing aught that might in
lure another or any dishOnOrable deed for
personal ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
Q-Was Lincoln ungratefulY
A-No; | think be could not be called
Hngrateilll. II is true be did not care
much for his friends. David Davis said
that Lincoln did not make the first move
ment IN appointing him TO the supreme