I hear you
PAT, from Joan's computer!
And I am with you and that is why I am not a politician!Having more time this evening to comment on everyone’s posts I do want thank everyone of you for your interest, truly!
JONATHAN stated:
“I believe Lincoln did call on God when it suited his purpose, or assuaged an inner demon, but by and large he was a constitutionalist, and committed as well to the principles enunciated in the declaration of independence.”
Carl Sandberg tells this story about Lincoln after he attended a revival meeting wherein the Rev. Cartwright asked the following:
"Mr. Lincoln, you have not expressed an interest in going to either heaven or hell. May I enquire as to where you do plan to go?" Lincoln replied: "I did not come here with the idea of being singled out, but since you ask, I will reply with equal candor. I intend to go to Congress." (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln_and_religion)
Thanks,
JONATHAN, I think you are right on the money!
JEAN, your knowledge of the history of that period is wonderful; being a history teacher you add much to our conversation. Thank you! Speaking of newspapers as you said “
newspapers were available in the cities, rural people probably saw them a few weeks or months later. People got news by frequenting the taverns or inns were traveling people stopped and where newspapers and letters were often read aloud.”
And the newspapers even traveled overseas.
Our book speaks of Seward traveling in Europe for three months and was able to read news of America in library reading rooms. He said of his trip that:
“He realized, in visiting the old, oppressed, suffering Europe, the fearful responsibility of the American people to the nations of the whole earth, to carry successfully through the experiment….that men are capable of self government.”
We are still attempting that and failing in areas, I believe!
MARJIFAY, get the book, I’ll get it to, it sounds very good. What a brave man he was to face down that mob that attacked the owner of a shop printing an abolitionist a weekly newspaper. He faced it alone and the mob backed off and it profoundly changed his life; changed his future actually, so Goodwin says. (pg.109)
I wonder if there are books about Seward and Bates, equally as interesting! I’ll look them up! That you for that post!
LUCKY, yes, and aren’t we lucky, as you say, to live in a time when child prevention methods and healthy children are possible. I remember my grandmother telling me that there were 13 children in her family and when I asked how they all managed, she told me that they lived on a farm and everyone worked very hard. They needed child labor on the farm, self-sufficient farms, and the children were lucky to get through the sixth grade. We need to be reminded of our foremothers now and then and thank you!
I watched a very good video entitled IRON-JAWED ANGELS, starring Hillary Swank, who portrayed the women’s movement, particularly Alice Paul.
Have you seen it? Very good and I think Swank is a great actress.
HELLO
JOAN! I don’t know much about those serfs, I think most of us have read or heard references to them throughout history, but I didn’t know that
“Serfs were owned by a few large landowners, who usually owned thousands” Heavens! And the serfs lived in cottages on the land? Those large castles in Europe were built by serfs, I suppose? Did they get a share of the crops?
Thanks for that bit of history; we will soon get into the discussion of slavery issues that almost burst this country apart. The tumult of those times! I am sure there are innumerable books written about this period of American history, and, of course, all schools and universities study it. This book is just a minor part of the whole period. One wonders if these “rivals” of Lincoln, or Lincoln himself, had any idea of what lay ahead of them!
