RTL's birth

[Laurie Verge]

I doubt seriously that Robert Lincoln (or any of their sons, had they lived) would have discussed private family matters. Victorians may have gossiped behind closed doors, but they certainly shied away from airing dirty laundry in public. I also think that Herndon overstepped Victorian limits and had a personal vendetta against Mrs. Lincoln.

As for the Roosevelts, 75 years' difference in time periods and changing culture means a lot as to what is acceptable to talk about and speculate on. The Roosevelts also led a much more public life than did the Lincolns - thanks to mass media and other factors. I wonder if Elliott's memories were deliberately published in order to admit the situations and set clear what was fact and what was fiction in his parents' relationship?

While we all love to speculate on scandals, I would suggest that we stop and ask, "What difference does it make?" If the Lincolns "had to get married," did that change the course of American history? In 1842, did anyone even suspect that Abraham Lincoln would become President and an American icon?

We probably wouldn't care about the Roosevelts either if the mass media had not stuck their noses in. Their marriage may not have been ideal, but both of the Roosevelts left lasting legacies in America - as did the Lincolns. That's what is important - not their sex life!

End of sermon...