Research Writing

Abraham Lincoln

"I am rather inclined to silence, and whether that be wise or not, it is at least more unusual nowadays to find a man who can hold his tongue than to find one who cannot." --The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln edited by Roy P. Basler, Volume IV, "Remarks at the Monogahela House" (February 14, 1861), p. 209.

Abraham Lincoln

"I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day." --Lincoln Observed: The Civil War Dispatches of Noah Brooks edited by Michael Burlingame (Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, 1998), p. 210.

Identifying Lincoln: Happiness and Sadness in This Great Man�s Life
         Abraham Lincoln and the life he led have been examined thoroughly by people that wish to learn about a beloved, successful president of the United States. Born in Kentucky �on a bed of poles cleated to a corner of the cabin, under warm bearskins,� Lincoln strove for education, understanding of the law, and fellowship with his countrymen (Sandburg 7). He attained these things with a strong work ethic that people around him noticed and trusted. Yet few people saw a side of Lincoln that struggled to cope with various aspects of this treasured country, community, and life. Analyzing Lincoln reveals extraordinary words of wisdom, thrilling wit, and heart-wrenching compassion; however, it also uncovers a happiness all too often coupled with despair, which was alleviated by a curious attraction to literature. Lincoln was a man who loved his country, its citizens, politics and law, the company of his children, and his wife. Yet because most of the things dearest to his heart caused him the most grief, he relied on stories and literature to understand and cope with difficult events and situations.
         Lincoln�s love for his country began early in his life, as did his opinion of literature. Growing up in surroundings that were �part of the American Frontier,� Lincoln enjoyed �the crackling and swaying of branches in the wind, or the cries and whirrs of animals� (Sandburg 15). Carl Sandburg reveals that amid these beautiful surroundings and while performing had work to ensure food and shelter, young Abe always had a book to read; in fact, Lincoln wondered so greatly about the world that he considered �the man who�ll git (him) a book (he) ain�t read� to be his best friend. He marveled at stories describing men who improved their lives through work and an America that offered the chance. �In no other country of the world, he thought, were ordinary people so much the masters of their destiny� (22). He loved nature as well as studying and was known to go off and study law books all day in the shade of towering trees.
         During these times, Lincoln depended on literature for stimulation and answers about everything in the world around him and often for comfort. Sandburg notes that whether observing nature or the struggle of the common man seeking improvement, �the story of America took on rich meaning for him� (Thomas 57). Still, America�s wilderness was dangerous as well as exciting, and when death struck the Lincoln family, young Abraham used words to deal with his sorrow. His mother died from what was called milk sickness, which was passed from poisonous white snakeroot plant to milking cows. Later in life, when Lincoln visited his old homestead, he wrote his feelings in verse; �My childhood�s home I see again. And sadden with the view: And still, as mem�ries crowd my brain, There�s pleasure it too�I range the fields with pensive tread, And pace the hollow room, and feel (companion of the dead) I�m living in the tombs (Donald). Lincoln�s sister was another companion of Lincoln�s whose death brought him great grief. During childbirth, she had complications, and Lincoln believed that her husband, Aaron Grigsby, did not do all that he could to save her by calling for a doctor. As a result, Lincoln wrote �The Chronicles of Reuben�, a piece that depicts the Grigsby brothers as foolish and dim-witted. Although the piece was humorous and written a year after his sister�s death, Lincoln was able to voice his resentment and lasting grief as well as amuse the whole town. This was early in the life of a man who would come to use words more and more to understand the world around him.
         Lincoln also believed stories to be enlightening and beneficial at times of indecision, hesitation, or contemplation. He believed people �dare not disregard the lessons of experience� and liked using anecdotes. He had a gift of storytelling. One frontiersman said , �in the role of story teller I never know his equal. His power of mimicry was very great he could perfectly mimic a Dutchman, Irishman, or Negro�I have heard men say that they had laughed at his stories until they had almost shaken their ribs loose� (Thomas 57). He was considered to be the best wit and storyteller in Washington and loved to make people laugh. In a courtroom, he used this gift to explain complex arguments. �Lincoln�s humor often served a useful purpose�and his quick perception of the ludicrous and the ridiculous enabled him to unmask pretense and vanity and hold things in true perspective� (Thomas 58). One fable told of a man preparing to cross a stream who had taken off all his clothes to find that the stream was as low as his ankles (Sandburg 128). Whatever the lesson, Lincoln seemed to always have a story.
         However, other times Lincoln perplexed so greatly over the written word, that his law partner would worry when he saw Lincoln in a deep state of depression. He saw Lincoln with a �woestruck face� gazing off for hours (Sandburg 112). Sometimes Lincoln wished to express his sadness in brilliant prose, in the same way as he had seen once in a newspaper. The piece was titled �Mortality, oh why should the spirit of mortal be proud?� and the author was William Knox (�Favorite Poem�). Because Lincoln memorized the entire poem, people thought that he was the author. The fact that its� melancholy tone appealed to Lincoln shows that he was moved by disheartening pieces as well as uplifting stories; yet, he was always willing to lighten the mood with his storytelling ability.
         Obviously his compassion for people went beyond lifting their spirits. The public knew Lincoln�s �essential humanity�, and �his heroic rise from humble origins� (Boritt 32). This contributed to the fact that he identified with others� sadness so strongly that after pardoning one woman�s husband, he told her he understood why she was crying and said, �if you do not go away at once I shall be crying with you� (Ingersoll). As a lawyer, he made it his profession to help �people in trouble over land or money or love, witnesses, murderers, scandalmongers and slanderers�; and as President, he was father to a warring nation (Sandburg 62). Lincoln was a constant witness to argument and pain. When his Generals reported events of battle, he used his sense of humor and literature to make them feel at ease.
        For instance, Major-General Grenville M. Dodge says this of one friendly encounter with President Lincoln; �He saw that I was ill-at-ease, so he took down from his desk a little book called �The Gospel of Peace.� I think it was written by Artemus Ward and was very humorous. He opened the book, crossed his legs, and began to read a portion of the chapter, which was so humorous that I began to laugh, and it brought me to myself� (Dodge 19-20). In this way, Lincoln was able to relate to people and issues that so often weighed down his mind and controlled his thoughts.
         At the same time, Lincoln had a deep passion for serious works such as The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution because he admired the language and had confidence in the ideas they preserve. As he said in a meditation on Proverbs 25:11, Lincoln believed them both to be �fitly spoken� as they secure the Union its independence as well as produce a beneficial government that allows prosperity for its people. Quite romantically, Lincoln pictures the relationship between the Declaration of Independence, the Union, and the Constitution as closely knit whereas the former is protected as the jewel of the other two. Lincoln stresses that if the Constitution and the Union do not �frame� or protect the Declaration of Independence, it ceases, then, to protect the people. It is an �immortal emblem of humanity� (Sandburg 150). And this protection, he stated, is more important than everything.
         In regard to the true meaning of the Constitution and the guidelines it suggested for the issues of the day, many more interpretations circulated, and with vehemence. Some people believed it was a �covenant with hell� (Sandburg 154). But Lincoln analyzed the words and �thought his way deeply among the issues and angers of the hour� (Sandburg 164). But aside from this specific concern, Lincoln�s intent was to remind the American citizens that they were all �brothers of a common country� (188). He feared the separation of this country and desperately wanted the Union to forever keep the ideas declared in the Constitution.
         Similarly, Lincoln knew the bible inside and out and �never denied the truth of the Scriptures� (Thomas 57). On one occasion, a friend of his worried about people who were upset with something Lincoln had done. Lincoln quoted this biblical phrase without missing a beat; �And everyone that was in distress, and everyone that was in debt, and everyone that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him and he became a Captain over them� (Dodge 19). Other times, Lincoln quoted bible verses in his speeches and his solemn theme was divine judgment in his Second Inaugural Address. (Sompkin 172). He knew the beliefs of the people and he �thought deepest and spoke most wisely� (Stafford 46). Lincoln relied on his knowledge of the bible for understanding of the events around him.
         But still, Lincoln worried about religion and the role it played in the North and South, particularly in the Civil War armies. Since both sides felt they were right, both justified their actions with �religious metaphors and Scriptural allusions� (Grant 20). Lincoln notices this, and many times he reflects upon the �Almighty�s own purposes� (Stafford 46). Ultimately, Lincoln knew and revealed in a letter that these purposes �are perfect and must prevail, though we erring mortals may fail to accurately perceive them in advance�We shall acknowledge His wisdom, and our own error therein. Meanwhile we must work earnestly in the best light He gives us� (Dodge 19). Lincoln knew that Confederate troops believed the Lord would save them from being governed by people like the Yankees and that Northern troops desired to make men free by dying, as Christ had done (Grant 20). During Lincoln�s presidency, this was one of his greatest concerns. Again Lincoln puts his feelings into words. He writes a meditation with his conscious and puts the situation in perspective, take comfort in the belief that he can contribute to an end he may not see. Children were a great joy to Abraham Lincoln, yet this aspect of his life also needed the benefit of literature to help ease his pain. Children seemed to respond to Lincoln. One young girl, name Grace Bedell, told Lincoln one day that if he �let (his) whiskers grow�, she would vote for him (�Favorite Poem�). Lincoln responded to her letter, writing, �As to the whiskers, having never worn any, do you not think people would now call it a piece of silly affection if I were to begin it now?� (�Favorite Poem�). Lincoln began wearing a beard and years later he met Grace in a crowd, kissed her, and told her he took her advice.
         When it came to his sons� discipline, however, Lincoln listened to the young pranksters over suggestions for discipline by other people. He generally laughed at his son�s tricks, despite the fact that Tad and Eddie often threw the White House �into a tither� (�Poem�). Tragically, at the age of four, Eddie became sick with a condition that took his life. This loss deeply scarred his parents and not long after, a poem was produced, titled �Little Eddie,� containing these sentiments:

Those midnight stars are sadly dimmed, That late so brilliantly shone, And the crimson tinge from cheek and lip, With the heart's warm life has flown - The angel of Death was hovering nigh, And the lovely boy was called to die. The silken waves of his glossy hair Lie still over his marble brow, And the pallid lip and pearly cheek The presence of Death avow. Pure little bud in kindness given, In mercy taken to bloom in heaven. Happier far is the angel child With the harp and the crown of gold, Who warbles now at the Savior's feet The glories to us untold. Eddie, meet blossom of heavenly love, Dwells in the spirit-world above. Angel Boy - fare thee well, farewell Sweet Eddie, We bid thee adieu! Affection's wail cannot reach thee now Deep though it be, and true. Bright is the home to him now given For "of such is the Kingdom of Heaven."(Herald)

Eddie was greatly missed; his parents loved him very much. It is natural to assume that the poem served as a tribute to this love; and, equally important, it placed his memory in the untouchable place, his father believed, that only literature could reach.
         Along with his children, there had been another aspect of Lincoln�s family life that joined both happiness and deep agony. This was the witty and fascinating Mary Todd, who, though he thought her to be quick, lively, and gay, was very different from Abe. He admired her social graces but, throughout their married life, jokily did his best to exaggerate the difference between those and his own. Since Mary had an �integral part of Southern customs�, she was bothered when he did things like using his own knife in the butter instead of the butter knife that was meant for use (�New Birth�). They were married, loving, and happy; despite strong evidence that Lincoln tormented over the decision of marriage. At his wedding, Lincoln �looked and acted as if he was going to the slaughter� (Wilson 110). He considered himself �most miserable� and took great relief in writing to his friend Joshua Speed for advice. Gary L. Williams observes that through letters, the two could, in effect, trade �off on the roles of doctor and patient� (Wilson 127).
         It is the friendship with Speed and the vehicle of letters that eventually led Lincoln to come to terms with marriage and rise above one of the most dramatic episodes of his life. Another, and probably the most evident, connection to literature that Lincoln maintained was the Shakespearian drama Macbeth. It was this piece that helped him �come to terms with the darker aspects of his own character� and he believed nothing to be its equal (Beran). As a model writer of English prose, he held that the story of Macbeth was the �material of life� and was, therefore, important to all ages in time as a �guide and an art� (Engler). Personally, Lincoln was drawn to the descriptions of sleep as Macbeth struggles with the idea of the corruption of ambition. Lincoln slept �in the affliction of�terrible dreams� and knew that sleep was necessary but said �the tired part of me is inside and out of reach� (Beran). It was this part and the anxiety and weariness that Speed saw when he visited the President ten days before the second inauguration. His condition, constant reflection of Macbeth, and grief over war verified that Lincoln identified with the character that was haunted by ambition, death, and grief.
         At the end of his life, Lincoln dwelt principally on the lines of Macbeth; through these, he was able to contemplate sensitive issues in his life as a man with a �highly developed moral imagination� would (Beran). He struggled to come to terms with the events of his life and the nation, constantly turning to the written word for direction. Whether expressing his feelings for a loved one, marveling over the words of a stirring poem, entertaining friends, or examining his own beliefs, Lincoln consistently craved the power of words to transcend ignorance, argument, and death�grievances that seemed to follow him throughout his life despite his affable personality, success, and intelligence.

Sources Cited
1. Abraham Lincoln: A New Birth of Freedom. Videocassette. PBS Video, 1992. �Abraham Lincoln�s favorite Poem.� http://www.members.aol.com/rvsnorton/lincoln2/html

2. Beran, Michael Knox. �Lincoln, Macbeth, and the Moral Imagination.� Humanities 11.2 (1998) http://www/nhinet.org/beran.htm.

3. The Bible. Revised Standard Version.

4. Boritt, G. S. �Was Lincoln a Vulnerable Candidate in 1860?� Civil War History 27.1 (1981): 32- 33.

5. Dodge, Major-General Grenville M. Personal Recollections of president Abraham Lincoln, General Ulysses S. Grant and General William T. Sherman. Denver: Sage Books, 1965. (19-20).

6. Donald, David Herbert. �Lincoln.� http://washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/books/chap1/lincoln.htm.

7. Engler, Balz. �Shakespeare, Washington, Lincoln.� http://www.unibasel.ch/shine/shine_folger.htm+.

8. Grant, Susan-Mary. �For God & Country Why Men Joined Up For the Civil War.� History Today 50.7 (2000) 20. The Lincoln Herald. (1999) 8.

9. Ingersoll, Robert Green. �On Abraham Lincoln.� http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/robert_intersoll/on_abraham_lincoln.html.

10. Sandburg, Carl. Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years and the War Years. New York: Sandburg. 1939. 7, 15, 22, 62, 112, 128, 150, 154, 164, 188.

11. Sompkin, Fred. �Scripture Notes to Lincoln�s Second Inaugural.� Civil War History 27.2: 172- 173.

12. Stafford, Tim. �How God Won When Politics Failed.� Christianity Today 44.1 (2000) 46.

13. Thomas, Benjamin P. �Abe Lincoln, Country Lawyer.� The Atlantic Monthly. 193.2 (1954) 57- 61.

14. Wilson, Douglas L. �Abraham Lincoln and �That Fatal First of January�.� Civil War History. 38.2 (1992): 101-130.

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