Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1892-03-05
LINcOLN's "RELrGION."
Chicago Herald.

tue real chhracter OI the nero Is 1851 ltl
the ideal qualities attributed to him by
his imaginative admirers. Instead Of
the genuine man there Is not infre-
qucnlly set up creature of AL entirely
different mold. Hence II Is that Col
oncl Ingersoll IN cxalting Abraham
Lincoln is prone 10 class him as ail
atheist and scofler in religious matters.
On the other hand many ministers Of
the gospel permit their enthusiastic
aud commcndable admiration of Lin
coin 10 lead them into eXiravagant and
ineXcusable estimates OF the man.
They seize upon certain of his express
ions which indicate in a vague, in
definite way his trust in an Overruling
Providence, aud magnify these utter
ances to the support of their claim that
he was devout and God fearing.
In point of fact Colonel Ingersoll and
the preachers are all wrong. Abra-
ham Lncoln's character is shown In
the traesi, clearest and most effective
light when it is presented in its real
cOlOrs. He was neither blatant in
fidel nor a protesting Christian. lie
was simply an unbeliver He was
without faith in the Bible or its teach
ings. On this point the testimony is
SO overwhelming that there is no basis
for doubt. In his early life Lincoln
exhibited powerful tendency TO az
gressive infideliiy. But when he grew
10 be Il politician lie became secrctivc
and noncOmnittal as TO his religious
belief. lie was shrewd enough to re-
alize the necessity of ieticcnce with the
convictions he possessed il he hoped Ia
succeed in politics.
1t is matter OF history that in 1884,
at New Salem, Ill.,, Lincoln read and
circulated Volney's ''Ruins" and
Paine's age OF Reason" giving to
both books the sincere reconmclda-
lion Of his unqualified approval.
About that time or a little later he
wrote an extensive argument against
Christianity, intending 10 publish il.
In this argument he commended that
the Bible was not inspired aud that
Jesus Christ was not the sOh OF God.
lie read this compilation ct his views
to numerous friends, and one occasion
when so engaged his friend and en-
ployer, Samuel Hill, snalched The man
uscript from the authors hands and
threw il INTO the stove, where il was
quickly consumed. A Springfield
friend said of him that in 1888 "Lin-
coin was enthusiastic IN his intidclily."
John I. Stuart, who was his first law
partner, declares: Lincoln was an
uv0wed and open iniidel. He went
further against Christian belief than
any man | ever heard. He always
denied that Jesus was the Christ OF
Cod" David Davis stated that 'Lin-
coln had absolutely no faith III the
Christian sense of The term"
These authorities ought to he con-
elusive, but there is further testimony.
This latter is important Rs explanatory
of Lincoln's frequent illusions in his
presidential messages and proclama-
tons to the Supreme Being. TO the
simplicity of his nature there was adj
ded a poetic temperament. lie was
fond of effective imagery, and his ref
erences 10 the Deity are due 10 the in-
stinct Of the poet. After his death
Mrs. Lincoln said: "Mr. Lincoln had
TO fifth and no hope in the usual ac-
ceptati0n OF those words. He never
joined u church." She denominates
what has been mistaken for his ex.
prcssions of religious sentiment rs -
kind OF poetry in his nature" adding,
'he was never a Christian" llern-
don, who was his latest law partner
and biographer, is even more explicit.
lie says: mo man had II stronger or
firmer faith in Providence-God-
than Mr.. Lincoln, but the continued
use by him late in life of the word
God must not lie Interpreted to mean
that lie believed in personal God.
In 1851 he asked me to erase the word
God from a speech which l had writ
ten and read 10 him for criticism, be-
cause my language indicated per-
sonal Gnd, whereas he insisted no such
personality ever existed"
So il must be accepted as final by
every reasonable miml that IN religion
Mr.. Lincoln was Il skcplic. Hut above
all things he was not hypurrite nor
a pretender lie was u plain man
rugged and earnest, and he pretended
to be nothing more. lie believed in
humanity and he was incapable of
phariseciSm. He had great respect for
the feelings and convictions of others,
hut he WAS not snveiur. He was
honest aud be was sincere, and taking
him simply for what he was we are
not likely soon Ia see his like again.
II is quite probable that you may
need the services OF physician some