The Soul of Abraham LincolnBarton, William E. (William Eleazar)
Religion
The Soul of Abraham Lincoln
Barton, William E. (William Eleazar)
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865 -- Religion; Presidents -- United States -- Biography
I was once interviewed on the subject of Mr. Lincoln's religious
opinions, and doubtless said that Mr. Lincoln was in the earlier part
of his life an infidel. I could not have said that "Dr. Smith tried
to convert Lincoln from infidelity so late as 1858, and couldn't do
it." In relation to that point, I stated, in the same conversation,
some facts which are omitted in that statement, and which I will
briefly repeat. That Eddie, a child of Mr. Lincoln, died in 1848 or
1849, and that he and his wife were in deep grief on that account.
That Dr. Smith, then Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of
Springfield, at the suggestion of a lady friend of theirs, called upon
Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln, and that first visit resulted in great intimacy
and friendship between them, lasting till the death of Mr. Lincoln,
and continuing with Mrs. Lincoln till the death of Dr. Smith. I stated
that I had heard, at the time, that Dr. Smith and Mr. Lincoln had much
discussion in relation to the truth of the Christian religion, and
that Dr. Smith had furnished Mr. Lincoln with books to read on that
subject, and among others one which had been written by himself, some
time previous, on infidelity; and that Dr. Smith claimed that after
this investigation Mr. Lincoln had changed his opinion, and become
a believer in the truth of the Christian religion: that Mr. Lincoln
and myself never conversed upon that subject, and I had no personal
knowledge as to his alleged change of opinion. I stated, however, that
it was certainly true, that up to that time Mr. Lincoln had never
regularly attended any place of religious worship, but that after that
time he rented a pew in the First Presbyterian Church, and with his
family constantly attended the worship in that church until he went to
Washington as President. This much I said at the time, and can now add
that the Hon. Ninian W. Edwards, the brother-in-law of Mr. Lincoln,
has, within a few days, informed me that when Mr. Lincoln commenced
attending the First Presbyterian Church he admitted to him that his
views had undergone the change claimed by Dr. Smith.
I would further say that Dr. Smith was a man of very great ability and
on theological and metaphysical subjects had few superiors and not
many equals.
Truthfulness was a prominent trait in Mr. Lincoln's character, and it
would be impossible for any intimate friend of his to believe that he
ever aimed to deceive, either by his words or his conduct.
Yours truly,
JOHN T. STUART.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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