The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1896-02-07


words are dictat-
ed, said: Lincoln read less and thought
more than any other man in America.
There is not one great book that he ever
read thoroughly. When boy, he read
the Bible, and when of age he read
Shakespeare, and he often quoted from
both, but he never read either book
through. ! repeat that he was the poor
est reader and the greatest thinker,
within his sphere, in America, if not in
the world"
The sayer of this was already tremu-
lous with the premonitions Of the final
catastrophe, but his head was clear, and
could but remember that he had been
for long time more intimate with Lin
coin than was ever any other man. be-
lieve that Herndon's Judgment was good
in the matter referred to. Lincoln did
think more-and better-than any other
man in America. He rose above his age
because he was the greatest thinker. In
many particulars he was not the highest
man. He was not the best. He was not
the noblest. He was not the greatest
pioneer Of freedom. He was not much
moved with the sublime enthusiasm of
humanity, but he could outthink any
man of the age
The operations of Lincoln's mind
were more exact and more certain, more
complete and finished, than were those
of any other mind in that greatest epoch
Of our national existence. So much has
been said about the matter that I hest
tate to enter upon new analysis or to
revise the old analyses of the Lincoln
ian intellect, but insist ON the main
fact and emphasize it-namely, that
Lincoln could outthink any man Of his
age and country. His reading was SO
small and desultory that it may be
wholly disregarded, but his view of the
world he lived in was clearer, more far
reaching and distinct than that Of any
Of his contemporaries or any several Of
them together.
Note with particularly the mode
and manner of that tall, gaunt, melan-
choly creature moving among his fellows
and talking to them in the manner Of
Esop. OF nature he knew nothing. He
never referred to nature. He never spoke
of rain or shine, of the green earth or
the blue sky, of forest or plain, of dis
tant mountain or ruff1ed sea. He who
had himself been fiatboatman descend
ing the Father of Waters gives no sign
that the majestic stream ever interested
him or touched his imagination. His
speeches are as devoid Of reference to
the aspects of the natural world as
though no such world existed.
recall with interest that the very
last words Lincoln delivered on the aft
ernoon before the assassination-last Of
those great utterances that for six or
seven years electrified and enlightened
half the world-were message Of sug-
gestion and encouragement to the min
ers of the Rockies. Schuyler Colfax was
going thither and was paying his final
call at the White House. Lincoln said
to him. 81 want you to take a message
for me to the miners. Ihave large ideas
of the mineral wealth Of our nation.
During the war, when we were adding
$4,000, 900 day to our national debt, 1
did not care about encouraging the in
crease in the volume of our precious
metals, but now that the rebellion is
overthrown and we know pretty nearly
the amount Of our national debt, the
more gold and silver we mine makes
the payment of that debt so much the
easier. Now / am going to encourage
that in every possible way. y in.
tend to point the immigrants to the
gold and silver that wait for them in
the west. Tell the miners from me that
shall promote their interests to the ut
most of my ability, because their pros
perity is the prosperity Of the nation. y
These were the last public words OF
the Immortal, and they were as pro
phetic and true as the rest II Lincoln
were present today, and in power, the
international gold trust would breah
itself to pieces on the immovable granite
Of that great and honest nature.
Lincoln has been credited with pos
sessing vein OF poetry. That Is not
true. He had no imagination, no ideal
ity. The one poem which he is said Il
have known by heart is long piece Of
moralizing doggerel about tho folly Of
pride in such creature as man. Il hal
in it the precise tone of melancholy and
doubt which were the prevailing charac
teristics of Lincoln's somber sentiments.
For that reason he read the poem aDd