What is your best one-word description of President Abraham Lincoln's character?

[RJNorton]

When Lincoln said, "I hope to have God on my side, but I must have Kentucky'" he tacitly recognized the need to be "still" lest the border States join the rebellion. He never pounced, he waited.

I have always been interested in this quote. However, from what I can tell, this saying is simply "attributed" to Lincoln or "reportedly said" by Lincoln. I have not seen a specific letter, speech, etc. where it can be shown with 100% certainty that Lincoln said those words. I have researched this quote in all my "authentic quote" sources and drawn a blank. I cannot point to any primary sources, but some Lincoln books simply say things like, "Lincoln reportedly said......" (fill in Juan's quote).

The closest I can come to an actual quote with a source is as follows:

"I think to lose Kentucky is nearly the same as to lose the whole game. Kentucky gone, we can not hold Missouri, nor, as I think, Maryland. These all against us, and the job on our hands is too large for us."

--From a September 22, 1861, Abraham Lincoln letter to Orville Browning.

As far as I can tell the actual truth on whether or not Lincoln said those words is "lost to history." If anyone knows an authentic source, please post. Many thanks.