Robert Todd Lincoln --The vitals

[kerry]

(01-13-2018 07:32 PM)RJNorton Wrote:  

(01-13-2018 10:37 AM)Eva Elisabeth Wrote:  As for the words to his mother, can someone share the original source? Thanks much.

Eva, I have seen that quote in more than one book I own but never with a source. The books all say "an observer" heard or "a witness" heard, but never identify who the person was who heard Robert say this. I, too, hope someone can post the original source.

One of the books I have that includes this quote with no source is Doris Kearns Goodwin's Team of Rivals. (p. 742)

Are you asking about the "trust in God" comment? I believe that was widely reported in the aftermath of the assassination in 1865. It was likely a common thing to say at the time in such a situation.

New York Tribune: April 16
https://www.newspapers.com/image/3293017...n%2Bgod%22

Personally, while I've explained before I sympathize with Robert for many reasons, I take issue with his actions because he never seemed willing to acknowledge who Mary was. There were people who could deal with her, and those who could not. Some people were able to accept that a (good many) people are eccentric and embarrassing, and they get to live outside an institution anyways. Now it is possible that Mary was doing things that placed her in real danger, but because of the way the trial was conducted, we never got all the information. I understand Robert wanting to keep it low key, but depriving someone of a defense in that situation is not fair. It's also clear that for all Mary's reckless spending, she was spending very little of her principal and had transferred much of the wealth to him. She seems to have had a sudden breakdown at that time in the hotel - maybe her existing mental health problems combined with the anniversary, fever, and too much medication justified a short stay. But I don't believe she was a good candidate for a long term stay, and Robert should have known it. And I think he did - he was clearly hesitant to move forward, and had hesitated for a long time. I don't believe he was after her money and I believe he had real concerns. But I think he had a narrow-minded view of life, in part as a coping mechanism, and he lacked the ability to see that the real problem was a system that treated him as responsible for his mother, as though women lacked agency, when clearly someone like Mary Lincoln had her own way of life and was capable of living it. I think he let embarrassment get the best of him more than concern for her - I don't think concern for her was absent, but nowhere does he ever even acknowledge her intelligence or just say she's a loud or assertive person. That she's just different. He seemed oddly in denial about her personality. Basically, while I acknowledge things were different back then, I still must give credit to those at the time who, regardless of norms, were able to accept people who were different. It was not impossible. Grant had a mentally ill brother wandering around the Republican convention at some point, and he let him out. Robert did not seem to try and understand the situation, and his inability to acknowledge the nuances was not just the way things were. Myra Bradwell and Professor Swing and Elizabeth Edwards were able to assess the situation fully and talk about her like a real, thinking person. Robert was in a tough situation, but I'm not sure he handled it correctly. That doesn't mean I think he was in on an evil plot or anything - it was more mundane than that, a lack of imagination.