What did Lincoln read?

[Liz Rosenthal]

It was likely something that had "gotten around." A lot of things that people dared not write about in those days were nevertheless known through word of mouth. But, as I said, that wouldn't have been the only reason that Lincoln was disillusioned about Jefferson the man. Jefferson had also had a change of heart regarding national policy on slavery in his later years.

(05-21-2014 11:21 AM)L Verge Wrote:  

(05-21-2014 07:40 AM)Gene C Wrote:  Laurie wrote:
"I admire the Lincoln writings of Douglas Wilson. In the following, lengthy discussion of Jefferson, he makes sense of what Betty and I continue to preach: Judge history and its men by the times in which they lived - not by the standards of today. Please try to read it in its entirety."

http://www.theatlantic.com/past/docs/iss...aractr.htm



I like Doug Wilson, but I don't agree with everything he says.

I don't know now whether Jefferson has sexual relations with his slave or not. And I disagree about judging history. If you mean understanding history, I can agree. If you really mean judging history, to go further in this conversation would cause me to take it to a moral and religious level that is not the purpose of this forum.

So getting back to what Lincoln read, I was surprised in reading Louis Warren's book "Lincoln's Youth" how much of what Lincoln read as a young person, even the school books of the time, emphasized patriotic, moral and spiritual values. And if you go back to Rob Wick's post #3, a fair portion of what Lincoln chose to read as an adult was of a similar nature. Several historians have commented that the most influential book he read was the Bible

And in typical fashion, we have skirted around my original question:

How widespread was the knowledge of Jefferson's liaison with his slave, the half-sister of his deceased wife, in the era before Lincoln became a political figure? Judging by the shock and awe that Fawn Brodie brought on in the 1970s or so with her book, I assumed it was a fairly well-kept secret - if it truly existed. I know that the topic was mentioned during Jefferson's Presidency by a political foe, James Callender, and got some exposure before Lincoln was born. It again was brought up in the mid-1850s by the rabid abolitionists as well as some of the British press. But how much of this was absorbed by Lincoln? What words do we have to show that he spoke out against Jefferson's private life?

I realize that all discussions with you, Liz, have to concern the slavery issues or they are not relevant, but how did Lincoln learn of Jefferson and Sally Hemings in order to be able to sit in judgment?

I am going to assume that there is no answer to what Lincoln read on Jefferson and that we are the ones sitting in judgment of the third President in an attempt to understand the sixteenth President. I don't buy that as a legitimate answer. And I say that with apologies to Liz and Gene for what I see as their inability to prove otherwise.