The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-03-03

Ing a letter to be pubI1Shed broadcast by the Knights of Columbus denying that President Lincoln ever uttered | statements derogatory to the Catholic Church of Catholics. MT. Lincoln's s letter, written in response to one from John B. Kennedy, editor of the K or c. International magazine. states that 'in the years his (Abraham Lincoln's)
 name has been peg on which to hang many things.''
 "I know of no anti-Catholic ut
 terance made by my father" MT. Lin | coin writes. ''The only instance
 known to me of my fathers referring
 in any way to the subject (the Catho- | lie Church) is in letter to Arch
 he requested the archbishop to give | him the name or names of some suit | able persons of the Catholic church
 whom he might with propriety desig- nate as haplainS in our military ser vice. This letter in itself is com plete answer to any possible publfca- tion of the character you mention. l There is even current" MT. Lin | coin continues, "an article used by a United States senator in a speech,
 the whole basis of which is the report | of a spiritualist medium, pretending | to quote my father and making him
 use language which could be applic-
 able only to a condition of things
 which did not exist in my fathers life time"
 The United States senator to Is be- I leading anti-Catho1ic agttator and op-
 ponent of American war aims in the | late world war.
 Ever since the late Henry Waiter son at a lecture which Robert Todd
 Lincoln attended in Chicago in 1880, emphasized so strongly the 1owly origin of President Lincoln that his son became offended at what he con-
 sidered the undeserved reflections upon the family strains that entered into his fathers and his own making, Robert Todd Lincoln has carried out a resolve which he is reported to have then made to avoid all public demonstrations of whatever nature having to do with his renowned fath- CT, in order to avoid being placed in the position of seeming to give ap- prova1 to anything any fervfd orator might say about him. It is said that tendency on the part of many speakers to eXaggerate facts about the Lincoln and Hanks families. because of his fear that his attitude would be m1S- construed.
 The only precedent for the breaking of his rule of self-imposed silence was when he protested against the Barn
 ard statue of Lincoln which 1t was in tended to set up in London. This statue was considered by many of Lin coln's admirers 2. grotesque car1cature of the martyred President. Robert Todd Lincoln was no noisy protest,
  Cecil Spring-Rice, British ambassador at Washington. and stated that he hoped the statue would not receive the approval of dedication by the Brit ish government. His protest was needed and a replica of St. Gauden's noble conception of Lincoln was sub stituted. Barnard's statue has, how ever. since been set up in Manchester England.
 Speaking of Robert Todd Lincoln fin a recent issue of Leslfes Weekly Aaron Hardy Ulm says:
 In Washington where he now nves' Robert Todd Lincoln, now approach ing his eightieth year, Is seen ire quentIy driving through the parks or boring over old manuscripts and rare books in the library of Congress. BuI If more than a hundred residents Of Washington know him by sight. His name rarely appears in the newspa- pers, never in connection with public or social activities. The old George | town mansion, where he and his fam fly make their home. is one of the | most picturesque in the national capl- century by a wealthy Scotch shhpmas- ter. The hncolns live in d1gnfhed elegance. But society editress of long experience in Washington was unable to supply the names of the daughters and granddaughters An other did not even recall that the Lncolns now make Washington thelr home.
 Most Inaccessible of Men,
 When tentative plans were being outlined some time ago for the dedi- cation of the great Lincoln MemoslaL nam Lincoln. it was suggested that special provision be made for the of Robert Todd Lincoln and his family.
 Accept my appreciation for the bought" he stated when the sug- yestion was conveyed to him. "but un- fer no circumstances must you carry t out. We, of course, shall attend put only on a par with the general public. We prefer that no notice whatever be taken of us."
 Thus it would seem that Robert l Todd Lincoln will maintain to the md the modesty of attitude toward lis fathers fame that has character ed his long life. There isn't of rec IT spoken publicly by him on the ubtect of Abraham Lincoln. He lever has been "interviewed" on the many other subjects. For most inaccessible of prominent men ! or aside from his name Robert Todd lincoln has played a conspicuous part n the nations life.
 He was born in Springfield, H., in ! S43, and graduated from Harvard in S64. He left the Harvard law school o enter the army, regarding which tep there survives one of the most of his fathers letters. t was written to Gen. Grant in Janu- l ny, 1865, and is as follows:
 Present at Fathers Death.
 Please read and answer this letter 1 ust as though I was not President l ut only a friend. My son, now in l lis twenty-Second year, having grad ated at Harvard. wishes to see some hing of the war before it ends. l 10 not wish to put him in the ranks. or yet to give him a commission, tc which those who have served long are etter entitled and better qualified to old. Could he. without embarrass nent to you or detriment to the ser ice, go into your military family with l ome nominal rank, I. and lot the general public. furnishing is necessary means? If not say 1 O without hesitation, because m as anxious. and as deeply l interested that you shall not be in numbered as you can be yourself
 Grant promptly made the boy a member of his staff with the rank | If captain. He accompanied thet