Lincoln Lincoln - 'a d***** dangerous man!'

[A. Roy]

I just ran across an amusing anecdote from Noah Brooks, a journalist who covered the presidential campaign of 1956, when Lincoln was stumping for Fremont. In 1878, Brooks wrote:

"Possibly [Lincoln] was not so popular among the masses of the people; but his ready wit, his unfailing good-humor, and the candor which gave him his character for honesty, won for him the admiration and respect of all who heard him. I remember once meeting a choleric old Democrat striding away from an open-air meeting where Lincoln was speaking, striking the earth with his cane as he stumped along and exclaiming, 'He's a dangerous man, sir! a damned dangerous man! He makes you believe what he says, in spite of yourself!'"

(Noah Brooks, "Personal Reminiscences of Lincoln." Scribner's Monthly, Feb. 1878, pp 561-2.)

ARB

 

[jackt62]

Lincoln had the uncanny knack of disarming his opponents with wit and frontier wisdom. After presenting an idea or proposal to Lincoln, a visitor seemed to leave a meeting scratching his head and half-thinking that Lincoln had agreed to whatever the proposal was.

 

[lupaglupa]

"Don't confuse me with the facts!"

 

[nc native]

Lincoln did have a sharp wit and a good sense of humor too. I love the moment at the Lincoln/Douglas debate where Stephen Douglas accused Lincoln of being two faced. Lincoln replied, "If I was two faced, do you think I'd be wearing this one?"