New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-06-01
LINCOLN.
n NeSo Book about Him by His
First Biographer.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND HIS PRESIDENCY DE
BY Joseph Hartwell Barrett: L. % evo. PIP.
Vol ! XII go: Vol. II. via. al Cincinnati; The
Robert Clarke Company.
This latest biographer Of Lincoln was also his
FIRST b,oerapher. In 1860 he was Editor Of The
Cincinnati Gazette" a delegate to the Repuo-
ucan National Convention and Ohio's member OF
the platform committee. After the nomination
ne went 10 Springfield and there obtained from
1sncoln himself the materials for a campaign
life which he issued. This was revised and re-
published fer the campaign Of 1864. All through
the war Mr.. Barrett enjoyed the personal friend
shin az the President, and was his agent on
some political missions. Now with an ample
distance for perspective, he has embodied the
fruits OF his acquaintance and exact informa-
zion in these two carefully prepared volumes.
aIr Barrett although he reports many personal
sncidents. is more concerned with political his
fory than with portraiture. yet his conception
OF the character OF Lincoln is made clear and
effective and dominates the earlier part Of the
work Later It is somewhat lost sight OF. owing
10 the large share Of attention given TO the de-
sailed record Of military movements in loyalty
20 the authors aim of preparing study OF LIN
ccln's Presidency as we'll as OF Lincoln himself.
His view OF the great emancipation and his rise
IS admiring perhaps somewhat conventional.
but thoroughly sane. Lincoln is treated a
natural man OF iOElldl SioN III ieANNA AA-SAA rs
g phenomenon. His peculiarities in maturity
are not exaggerated on the one hand as by some
biographers, on the other are his ancestry
and early surrounding unduly deprecated in
order 10 make his greatness more OF miracle
Mr. Barrett's account Of Lincoln's life previous
30 the Civil War is the best part Of his history
He shows that the Lincoln family was one OF
responsibility, and even consequence, in the col
onies. The Presidents grandfather was one Of
the pioneers Of Kentucky. with large land hold
ings. lie was killed by the Indians when
Thomas Lincoln, the Presidents father. was a
little child his land titles were found to be de-
fective. and the orphans OF whom Thomas was
the youngest, were left TO make their own liv-
ing amid the hard conditions OF frontier life.
Thomas Lincoln was illiterate. but Mr.. Barrett
declares that he was honest and a good work
man at carpentry. though he had the unsettled
disposition and the conten;ment with what
barely suficed for the simplest wants which
We're not uncommon traits among the border
people The author attacks what he calls IAN
unfortunate hallucination of Mr.. Herndon" con-
cernIng President Lncoln's mother. snd gives
from the records definite account of her par
entage and early life, and brings forward testi-
snony that she and her husband were good
family. They We're poor-the very poorest peo-
pie OF the middle class L should say-but they
were true" Abraham Lincoln had inner
itance Of sturdiness and good character. His
gathers shiftlessness and ignorance. due TO neg
iected boyhood In the bacl1woods, were not char
acteristic Of the race. He grew up amid rough
surroundings and never outgrew some Of the
crudities of his youth. but from early life he
had friends among the best people in Kentucky
and Illinois. and his advancement TO place of
leadership was a matter Of perfectly natural
growth. paralleled by the careers of hundreds of
other men Of humble beginnings
Mr.. Barrett's account of Lincoln at the bar
and his development advocate of moderate
enti-slavery views Is Illuminating. With liberal
quotations from speeches he shows his power
his high principle. and. above all, his sane COM
mon sense. A spirited review OF the Lincoln
Douglas debate contains enough we'll chosen ex-
tracts to set forth in brief compass the scope
and character of that contest. Coming down
20 the eve Of the war, Mr. Barrett introduces a
most interesting hitherto unpublished letter 10
him from Salmon P. Chase concerning John
Brown, in which Chase expressed this Contem-
porary view Of the mad exploit at Harper's
Ferry, which was singularly prophetic Of his
tory's verdict:
Poor old man. How sadly misled by his own
tmsgination! How rash, how mad. how criminal
Would deiuce The land Win blood and make void
the fairest hopes Of mankind! And how hard to
condemn him, when We remember the provocation.
the unseldsh desire 20 free the oppressed. the
bravery. the humanity toward his prisoners which
defeated bis purposes! This is tragedy which
viii supply themes for nOvelists and poets for
sa DTere en But M xe pity ms ana act om9 R hs
mingle for him, how stern will be the reprohation
slavery upon Kansas which began it all and upon
slavery itself, which underlies il all.
Lincoln's view of the same subject was ex-
pressed in a speech at Leavenworth, Kan. in
December. 1859. when. shooting over the line"
at the Democrats I'm Missouri. who were saying
they would not stand a Republican President
he declared:
II we shall constitutionally elect President it
will be duty TO see that you submit Old John
Brown has been executed for treason against a
State. We cannot object even though he agreed
with in thinking slavery wrong. That does not
excuse violence. bloodshed and treason. 1t could
right. So II We constitutionally elect President
and therefore you undertake to destroy the Union,
Z will be our duty 20 deal with you as old John
Brown has been dealt with. We shall try 10 do our
dgty.
Conciliatory 10 a degree in all unessentials
and fully ready 10 defend all the constitutional
rights of the Shareholders. this doctrine of the
power and duty Of the government to maintain
ftself. announced as his name was coming before
the people that Of possible candidate he
adhered 10 firmly in the trying and uncertain
days after secession. before the North round
itself. In the last months Of Buchanan's ad-
ministration many Of those who had been most
radical We're ready TO make any concession on
the slavery question 10 avoid disunion, and then
even allow disCnoE 10 avoid war A few
months later these same radicals thought Lin
coin too slow in making war. With clearer
vision he stood by his principles and was pa
tienr I'm waiting for the time to act upon them
To Hannibal Hamlin shortly after the election
he said 10 tell his friends in Ohio that there
ho d.,