Are those stories about Mary abusive to Abraham overstated???

[RJNorton]

Thanks, David, for finding the source of Mary Lincoln's comment. Generally speaking, I do not think Lincoln was good at extemporaneous speeches. IMO, he preferred having the time to prepare his speeches. If the story is true, Mary L. was critical of him for something he was often not good at in the first place.

Here is the text of what the Collected Works has for the speech:

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Remarks at Opening of Patent Office Fair [1]

February 22, 1864

Loud calls being made then for the President, Mr. Lincoln stepped forward, and said that he appeared before the audience to apologize for not speaking rather than to speak.

He thought that the Committee had practiced a little fraud on him, for they did not intimate when they came to see him in the morning, that they expected him to speak, therefore he had come before the audience totally unprepared to say anything; that was taking one at great disadvantage after the eloquent speech of Mr. Chittenden and the poem of Mr. French.

There was great objection to his saying anything, for necessarily, in consequence of his position, everything went into print. [Laughter and applause.] If he made any mistake it might do both himself and the nation harm. [Applause.] It was very difficult to say sensible things. [Laughter.] He therefore hoped that the audience would excuse him after expressing his desire that the charitable enterprise in which we were engaged might be abundantly successful. [Applause.]

Annotation
[1] New York Tribune, February 24, 1864. Lincoln's remarks followed a speech by Lucius E. Chittenden and a patriotic poem read by Benjamin B. French.