Abraham Lincoln Religion in Politics

[David Lockmiller]

(03-21-2018 07:53 PM)ELCore Wrote:  From Collected Works, Volume VII, page 542, "Reply to Loyal Colored People of Baltimore upon Presentation of a Bible":

Quote:In regard to this Great Book, I have but to say, it is the best gift God has given to man. All the good the Saviour gave to the world was communicated through this book. But for it we could not know right from wrong. All things most desirable for man's welfare, here and hereafter, are to be found portrayed in it. To you I return my most sincere thanks for the very elegant copy of the great Book of God which you present.

Originally in Washington Daily Morning Chronicle, September 8, 1864.

"Sojourner Truth," the slave preacher whom Mrs. Stowe has described as embodying all the elements of an African prophetess or sibyl, when over eighty years old, left her home, at Battlecreek, Michigan, with the unalterable purpose of seeing the Emancipator of her race before her death. She reached Washington the last of October, 1864.

He then arose, gave me his hand, made a bow, and said: "I am pleased to see you."

"I said to him: 'Mr. President, when you first took your seat I feared you would be torn to pieces, for I likened you unto Daniel, who was thrown into the lions' den; and if the lions did not tear you into pieces, I knew that it would be God that had saved you; and I said if He spared me I would see you before four years expired, and He has done so, and now I am here to see you for myself.'

"He then congratulated me on my having been spared. Then, I said: 'I appreciate you, for you are the best President who has ever taken the seat.' He replied thus: 'I expect you have reference to my having emancipated the slaves in my proclamation.' . . . I then said: 'I thank God that your were the instrument selected by Him and the people to do it.'

"He then showed me the Bible presented to him by the colored people of Baltimore, of which you have heard. I have seen it for myself, and it is beautiful beyond description. After I had looked it over, I said to him: 'This is beautiful indeed; the colored people have given this to the Head of the Government, and that Government once sanctioned laws that would not permit its people to learn enough to enable them to read this Book.'

He took my little book, and with the hand that signed the death-warrant of slavery, he wrote as follows: -- "For Aunty Sojourner Truth, Oct. 29, 1864. A. Lincoln.'

("Six Months at the White House," F. B. Carpenter -- pages 201 - 203.)