Evening star., 1959-02-08
LincoIn's Mony-Faceted Character
Is Revealed in Library Exhibition

n Wise man WHOSE SISuuy Sau1
eyes were set in gnaried face I
is available again for those who
would meet him.
Thursdays lat 2 pm. IN the
Great Hall of the Library Of
Congress. Abe Lincoln will mix
with the general public" The
mystery about the man, his dry
humor. his refined phrases are
open to inspection. In an old
photograph. taken shortly be-
fore his death, he looks out on
all the attention with a trace
Of mild amusement. But, as. 1t
was said, he apparently does
belong to the ages"
This year has been designated
as the Lincoln Sesquicentennial
Year by President Eisenhower.
And the Library Of Congress.
deep in Lincoln material. has
come up with an exhibition on
the man-one scheduled to run
throughout the year. 1t will be
opened at 1915 pm, Thursday,
by Vice President Nixon,
Speaker Of the House Rayburn.
Senator Cooper, Republican of
Kentucky and l.. Quincy Num-
ford, Librarian of Congress. 1t
is then opened to the public at
2 pm.
Comprehensive Collection
There are some $50 items in
the exhibition, considered the
most comprehensive. collection
Of Lincoln material ever as
sembled.
One reason the man is so
we'll remembered. and docu.
mented, may lie in his writing.
For, the exhibit shows. Lincoln
wrote in a hand one can read
with little effort and what he
said was, of course, worth
remembering. Horace Greely,
on the other hand, according
to library historians. left a vast
amount Of eye strain behind
him. Had it not been for his
newspaper. he may never have
gotten the "go west" phrase
over.
The only time Mr.. Lincoln
becomes difficult to read is in
his farewell address to close
friends in Springfield. In the
early dawn of 1851, boarding a
train for Washington and the
presidency. Lincoln made a
few remarks. He said. among
other things:
g. Here I have lived a
quarter of a century. and have
passed from a young to an old
man. Here my children have
been born, and one is buried.
now leave. not knowing when,
or whether ever I may return,
with a task before me greater
than that which rested upon
Washington :"
AS the train pulled out. &C
cording to the exhibit, his aSso-
.ciates felt he should jot down
what he had said. The speed
and bumps of the train are re-
f1ected in the handwriting and
after a few lines he turned the
job over to his secretary.
Four Main Categories
The exhibit is arranged in
four categories-the formative
years, early political career.
years Of strife. the worldwide
Lincoln. f
In Lincoln's hand. there are
two autobiographies he obvi-
ously spent little time on-one
written for a newspaper article
and the other for campaign
material. In 1858 he got to-
gether three pages on his life
and included the note: Here
with is little SKETCH. as you
'requested-there is not much
of it, for the reason, l suppose, !
that there is not much of
me"
Following his acceptance of
the nomination for President
in 1860. Lincoln's supporters
we're somewhat worried about
the affect his incredibly rough
face might have on prospective
voters.
He was asked for his opinion
of one profile. Said Mr.. Lin
coin: THE original Of the pic
ture was taken from life.
and is, I think. a very true one;
. though my wife, and many
others, do not-My impression
is that their objection arises
from the disordered condition
Of the hair. My judgement is
worth nothing in these mat
ters D."
: Eventually; a portrait painter
was dispatched. from Phil