Evening star., 1947-07-27
Library Experts Call
Lincoln Collection
Richest One 10 Date

Todd Lincoln Collection of Abraham
Lincoln papers, the library of Con-
gress made public a general ap-
praisal,' based on comments of the
experts who studied the times.
A partial text of the commentary
follows:
1T is, of course, too early TO at
tempt a final appraisal of so extern
sive collection. In the few hours
during which the papers have been
out of the safes in which they have
been locked for 81 years it has been
impossible even to examine carefully
the index to this mass of over $4,000
items.
However, the first reports of ex-
perts, trained to look for particular
facts and for significant names and
dates, are unanimously enthusiastic.
This, they report, is the richest
single collection of Lincoln material.
Fears that it might prove disap-
pointing are groundless. 1t will
always be an indispensable mine
of information for students of Lin
coin and of the Civil War period.
1t is rich in the details of the mill
tary, political and personal aspects
of LincolnS administration.
History Clarified.
THE experts emphasize that the
facts revealed by the collection are
not necessarily spectacular, nor are
they expected to require any con-
siderable revision of written history
No skeletons are brought out of the
closet. Rather, the collection pro-
vides much needed amplifications,
Qualifications and explanations of
passages in history which have
hitherto been but imperfectly
known They also throw much light
upon the conditions under which
Lincoln worked, the forces to which
he was exposed and the manner in
which he reacted to and handled
the situations in which he was
placed. New material on Fort Sum-
ter, one expert reports, shows
Lincoln's patient attempts to avoid
the conflict; and his repeated emen-
dations of his first inaugural
address show his willingness to
make concessions rather than incur
the horrors of civil war.
The very compleXity of the cor
respondence, the variety of persons
with whom it deals and the minute
ness of the details in which the
President was concerned, show him
as one who had his finger continu-
ouSly on the pulse of opinion and
affairs as few other men might have
done
"A surprising fact to one historian
is the amount of presidential
material and data on Illinois politics,
showing that Lincoln took major
part of his Springfield file to Wash
ington.
Omissions Were Expected.
mot SO surprising to most experts
at this stage of examination of the
collection are the omissions. There
is no trace, so far, nor was any eX-
pected, of the origins of the BiXby
letter, of the Ann Rutledge legend,
or of certain other points in the
Lincoln saga on which his biogra-
pliers are anxious for new and de-
cisive material. The prevailing note
at this time is one of profound
satisfaction that the collection is
now available.
One of the topics in which the
collection is found to be most illumi-
mating is on the relations between
Lincoln and his generals, and in
directly-on his relations with the
administrative officers who might
normally have stood between the
commander-in-c chief and the officers
in the field. At first glance, there
are identified in the collection over
1900 letters from generals, and more
will probably be found when the
military titles of Lincoln's CORE
spondents are ascertained.
Here are the evidences of petit
coat politics, as when Jessie Benton
Fremont demanded an early answer
to General Frenont's refusal to re-
tract or modify his proclama ton
confscating the property of rebel
Missourians. Here are Lincoln S
own plans of campaign for the Army
of the Potomac, diametrically op-
posed to those of Gen. Mcclellan.
Here is Grants violent protest
against the confirmation of Buford
as major general. and Gen. Dix S
heated letter on the conduct of the
blockading squadron at Hampton
Roads.
"One document, involving rivalry
among the services, is Endorsed in
Lincoln's hand, with a humorous
hope of agreement between his sec
retaries of War and Navy, submitted
to Mars and Neptune
Reaction to Emancipation.
"In these papers, there are many
letters and documents sent to Lin
coin in reaction to the Emancipation
Proclamation. The Religious Society
of Progressive Friends meeting in
Chester, Pa, in October, 1862. wrote
that we rejoice that God often
uses the governments of this world
as instruments, in carrying out His
wise and beneicent purposes
VIC llIdlih 1ou. lAtC ohGllOl VI
every word and work" for putting
1t into thy heart, and giving strength
for assuming responsibility of the
movement :
From Osoomiah, Persia, a group
of missionaries forwarded a copy OF
Rays of Light, which contains the
full text of the Emancipation
Proclamation in Syriac. At special
meeting in Philadelphia of the su-
pervisory committee for recruiting
colored regiments, plans were made
for tremendous November l, 1864
celebration of the Emancipation
Proclamation. Mr.. Webster, the
chairman, wrote, Had it been de-
termined to adjorn the celebration
till after November Sit could have
lost you many votes-now it will, in
my judgment make votes for you
The people are a long way
ahead of these among us who are
politicians only and calculate anc
speculate-while the people feel
think and act
Letters from job-seekerS, some
deserving and some merely am
bilious, constitute a major part o1
~ .n1