Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-02-12
Abraham Lincoln
Recollections
2. s. Nadal N rhs outlook.

VNTE ARE fortunate 20 have had In short career
w two such characters as Washington and IAn-
coin. England has had only one. Alfred. Washing
ton Of course. a OF much less salient
characteristics than Lincoln The young Chastellux
found his distinction TO be I'm the harmonious blend
ing OF his characteristics Their than in the existence
OF marked special qualities" SO he has always
seemed to his countrymen. but he probably had moro
pronounced qualities than we have supposed. Albert
Gaatin said that Of all the inaccessible people he
ever knew, Washington the most inaccessible
Galatin however. knew him a young man and
not by way Of knowing him we'll That could not
have been the opinion OF the farmer Burns. neighbor
OF Washington who said TO him, Where would
YOU have been II the widow Gusts hadn't married
your
There grew UP an idea that Washington was color
less Carlyle, for instance said Of him that George
was just oliver with the Juice left out" That is OF
course untrue. He Is not so visible Lincoln. has
not Llncolns gift OF familiarity. In order TO get
clear idea Of him should have 10 follow him more
closely than II would be necessary TO do with Lincoln
But we did 80. should OF course find him
man OF marked qualities have always found that
men more Individual than they are thought 10 be-
As look at them closely, marked traits begin to
define Themselves II would be 80 in the case OF this
great also that followed him
closely should grow very fond OF him. We should
perhaps find him peasanter company than Lincoln
For thing, he handsome: he had a person
worthy 10 be the tenement OF mind and character
great his. Washington. however had not at all
a great opinion OF himself He does not seem TO have
set even fair estimate upon his own powers Says
be doubt that to the day OF his death he the
determined skeptc to his fitness for the posi-
tions to which he called in succession" That we
know not Ancon's feeling. Lincoln probably
knew perfectly well what he
washington had not in the least Lncoln's humor.
One Of washlngton's foibles by the way dis
position 10 shine q wit, disposition which was
OF disturbance TO his admirers. some Of whom
had 20 set eyes upon the most iustrl-
Gus man OF his age. But you and find this and his
other fobles pleasant because they bring him nearer
TO us
Washington was himself OF a happy disposition,
He appreciated the good things OF this world. He
a mundane person. and there is something cheer
full in that Thackeray limited that in his marriage
he not insensIble to the fact that the widow
Gusts had hundred thousand dolars-a great In
those days People here indignant at the sug-
gestion when It was made. l am indignant myself.
and yet the promptitude with which his heart de-
clared itself when he the widow. taken In
nection with the fact that the other lady for whom
he entertained tender sentiment, Miss Phillipse
also heiress, does look as II he had his wits
about him why object to this7 II in charac-
| ter Why object TO what is in character. and why
| hesitate to recognize Il?
| Both Lincoln and Washington were men from the
farm and the country; both physically strong
| men. washington six feet three Lafayette said
OF him that his hands the largest he ever saw.
He skillfu horseman. People said that scarcely
| anyone had such grip with his knees as he had
He could ride anything; all that he asked of horse
that he should go forward. He had passion
for horses Of this the following incident is Illus
! tration. Like most men who have accomplished much.
| he believed there was a right and wrong way OF
doing things and he had strong feeling that they
should be done the right way. tradition, which
have had from lady connected with Washingtons
family and which have not seen In print Is that ne
would go into the stable and pass silk handkerchief
! the coats OF the horses IL he found dust the
handkerchief. the groom would catch itl
| bath Vaah fnofo M man
| in money matters. In washington's this story
! may be related as instance have seen several
versions Of It. The following will do well
| Young Mr. Lewis dining at Mount Vernon.
Washington said he looking pair OF horses.
| Someone said that Mr.. Lewis had fine pair Lewis
| said; YES have good pair, but they viii cost
something and General Washington will never pay
anything" At that the c'ock on the mantelpiece
struck. 1t cuckoo clock. the gift. perhaps. OF
some European admrer CThis story will illustrate
as we'll washinstons propensity to make bad jokes)
| The cuckoo came out and crowed the hour. WASH
ington said "Ah Lewis. you're a funny fellow; that
bird is laughing at you"
There is one difference between Washington and
Lincoln which is characteristic and important. Wash.
ington was an aristoerat; upright. downright Eng
lish gentleman. much resembling the EnglIshmen of
the revolution OF 16Ss which Protestant gentle
mems revolution. He was arstocrat. but with a
difference fine gentleman of that day would prof.
ably have thought him countryman. l saw lately
that Josiah Quincy who had known him. said that he
the impression OF a man who had not much
in society. l should think that that true. One
has an impression that he was in noble way. a
rustic. lie English country gentleman with
little OF Sir Roger de Coverley about him. But nc
was much more than that. On this basis there was
superposed something OF Leatherstockng and some
thing OF Cincinnatus.
But he was essentially aristocrat. Read his let
ters and you will that the OF them unmis
akably aristocrate He belonged TO world OF
world in which the existence OF classes was the
natural and inevitable order things. But now
society about to grow up. and IL right thai
this society should have its In the Older
society the feeling OF the upper class was one OF
marked separation from the common people. The
feeling OF that class was consciously unconsciousy
that II was the business of the poor be unhappy
great man OF the old time could not altogether es
cape this feeling There had been plenty OF good ant
kind rulers in the past but their feeling regard 4
the common people could not be the same as II the,
had themselves been OF that class. Lincoln on IN,
other hand was OF that class In him have a grea
unlike the good rulers OF the past not a Haroun
sl-Raschid mixing with his people, Alfred burn
ing the cakes, but the real thing The fact that h
from that class. that he belonged It not onl,
I nv birth nd hut nv efu for hgr4,