Abraham Lincoln Second Inaugural Address

[Gene C]

I don't think they are contradictory.
"He certainly punctuated by ear..." and
"read his manuscript over out loud to see how it sounded..."
The two quotes you used seem to compliment each other.

I do recall, in a previous thread, that Mary Lincoln was also noted for using excessive commas in her writing.
Maybe he picked that up from her, or she picked it up from him.

Since we do not have any recordings of his speeches, the use of excesses commas may be an indication of Lincoln's public speaking style. The commas may have been for the benefit of the speaker and hearer, and less for the reader.

As Hamlet may have responded to your inquiry
I thinketh not,
That your citations
from your previous pronouncement,
be they contradictory?