President was carried by angels to the New Jerusalem above." APPENDIX V TWO HERNDON LETTERS CONCERNING LINCOLN'S RELIGION BRIEF ANALYSIS OF LINCOLN'S CHARACTER SPRINGFIELD, ILL., Sept. 10, 1887. J. E. REMSBURG, Oak Mills, Kansas. FRIEND REMSBURG: Today I send you Speed's lecture on "Lincoln," which you can keep till I send for it--and this will probably be never. It is a very poor lecture if the lecture contains his knowledge of Lincoln, and, I guess it does. It shows no insight into Lincoln at all, though it is well enough written. It is said that Speed had a world of influence over Lincoln. This may be so, and yet I never saw it. It is said by Nicolay and Hay that Lincoln poured out his soul to Speed. Bah! Nonsense! Probably, except in his love scrapes, Lincoln never poured out his soul to any mortal creature at any time and on no subject. He was the most secretive, reticent, shut-mouthed man that ever existed. You had to _guess_ at the man after years of acquaintance and then you must look long and keenly before you _guessed_, or you would make an ass of yourself. You had to take some leading--great leading and well-established--fact of Lincoln's nature and then follow it by accurate and close analysis wherever it went. This process would lead you correctly if you knew human nature and its laws. Lincoln was a mystery to the world; he loved principle, but moved ever just to suit his own ends; he was a trimmer among men, though firm on laws and great principles; he did not care for men; they were his tools and instruments; he was a cool man--an unsocial one--an abstracted one, having the very quintessence of the profoundest policies. Lincoln's heart was tender, full of mercy, if in his presence some imaginative man presented the subject to him. "Out of sight, out of mind" may truthfully be said of Lincoln. If I am correct, what do you think of the stories afloat about what Lincoln said in relation to his religion, especially said to strangers? I send you two "Truth-Seekers" which you will please read where I speak of Lincoln in three letters, pages marked at the top. You will learn something of Lincoln's nature in those three letters of mine--two of them on Lincoln's religion, and one to a minister. Please read them. There are some quotations in these letters which I have never had time to send you as I recollect it. They are good things--one on Laws of Human Nature and one on the Pride-Haughtiness of Christians. Lincoln delivered a lecture in which these quotations are to be found. I heard him deliver it. W. H. HERNDON. P. S.--Mr. Speed was my boss for three or four years and Lincoln, Speed, Hurst, and I slept in the same room for a year or so. I was clerk for Speed. Speed could make Lincoln do much about simple measures, policies, not involving any principle. Beyond this power Speed did not have much influence over Lincoln nor did anyone else. A CARD AND A CORRECTION