two questions

[Steve]

I tracked down the origin of the quote, Deming's June 8, 1865 speech to the Connecticut General Assembly:

https://books.google.com/books?id=6kkTAA...22&f=false

(page 42, if the link doesn't immediately open to the spot)

There's a little bit of context missing which was included in how Deming originally presented the anecdote in his speech, which might be helpful if your trying to evaluate the accuracy of Deming's recollection.

The above story is preceded by an anecdote of Deming visiting Lincoln in his office after John C. Fremont dropped his third-party presidential campaign in late September 1864. Lincoln reads from a Bible gifted to him by an African-American congregation. Reciting I Samuel 22:2, in reference to Fremont:

And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.

Deming then goes into the quote and story about Lincoln's creed, which he said happened at a different time. Following the creed quote Deming then goes on to say that Lincoln's favorite reads were the Bible, Shakespeare, Robert Burns, and a bunch of American humorists.