Life of Lincoln

[Kieran McAuliffe]

How many of you remember Bishop Sheen? He was a most unlikely star of early television, giving a half hour religious talk every Sunday evening.
He gave a talk on the life of Abraham Lincoln in 1954.
You can access it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUdQFf0Ybm0
He does tend to present stories about Lincoln that do not stand up to modern research. Still, it is interesting.

[Gene C]

I liked that, thanks for posting.

[RJNorton]

How many of you remember Bishop Sheen? He was a most unlikely star of early television, giving a half hour religious talk every Sunday evening.
He gave a talk on the life of Abraham Lincoln in 1954.
You can access it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUdQFf0Ybm0
He does tend to present stories about Lincoln that do not stand up to modern research. Still, it is interesting.

Many thanks for posting this, Kieran. Like Gene, I enjoyed it.

Regarding stories that may not stand up - I have read in many books that Lincoln went to Congress to defend Mary against the charge of being a spy. I can certainly understand why Bishop Sheen would include this. I think the story goes that the president appeared before the Congressional Committee on the Conduct of the War. However, I think many historians feel Lincoln never really appeared before the committee.

[LincolnMan]

I have also heard that the incident never happened. Perhaps Sheen had read Sandburg's account of it in his Lincoln work.

[Kieran McAuliffe]

I have also heard that the incident never happened. Perhaps Sheen had read Sandburg's account of it in his Lincoln work.

That is what I was thinking. In 1954 Sandburg’s Lincoln would have been the popular biography.

[LincolnMan]

It was!

[Gene C]

Did Lincoln really meet with the Committee on the Conduct of the War regarding Mary?

[RJNorton]

Did Lincoln really meet with the Committee on the Conduct of the War regarding Mary?

Like many highly-respected historians Ed Steers argues that it never happened. Ed writes about the topic in Lincoln Legends: Myths, Hoaxes, and Confabulations Associated with Our Greatest President here. Ed's conclusion: "Lincoln never appeared before the committee."

[L Verge]

Perhaps he sent a representative in his stead??

[Gene C]

If it happened the way I've read about it, if I was on that committee, I sure wouldn't want any record of the meeting.

[Craig Hipkins]

Those early broadcasts of Fulton Sheen can be seen on EWTN. Thanks for posting this!

Craig