Abraham Lincoln and John Bright

[David Lockmiller]

I located a book at the San Francisco Public Library titled “The Diaries of John Bright.” The following is the entry for April 29, 1865:

“While at Dolgelly on the 27th heard of the shocking tragedy in Washington, the murder of President Lincoln. For an hour or near it, I felt stunned and ill. . . .

In him I have observed a singular resolution honestly to do his duty, a great courage, shown in the fact that in his speeches and writings no word of passion or of panic, or of ill-will, has ever escaped him; a great gentleness of temper and nobleness of soul proved by the absence of irritation and menace under circumstances of the most desperate provocation, and a pity and mercifulness to his enemies which seemed drawn as from the very fount of Christian charity and love. His simplicity for a time did much to hide his greatness, but all good men everywhere will mourn for him and history will place him high among the best and noblest of men.”

The words of Tolstoy sound familiar.