Things Lincoln never said

[Steve Whitlock]

I don't have access to Fehrenbacher, but you show them as a reference, so I'm confident you vetted the quote.

Hi Steve and thank you. I just checked the Fehrenbachers' book, and the quote is not in there.

Roger,

The reason that the statement isn't in the Fehrenbacher book may be, if I understand Rich Hileman correctly, "The reason is that they included only statements attributed to Lincoln by the person who claimed to hear it from Lincoln."

Meanwhile, since the quote is used at Genetic Lincoln as a motto, Suzanne Hallstrom advised me of pg 232 of “Lincoln in American Memory” by Merrill D. Peterson, ( excerpt attached). The statement is attributed to Herndon hearing it from Mr Lincoln.