OCRed data provided
for searching only. january 1866 153
What you say about what his "Perceptionî was is truthfully faultless and impartially correct. The remarks you have put together under the head of "Sugges‚tivenessî Show that you have studied the man and his mysterious character carefully Üyou went through the bark into the heart of this giant of the intellectual forest, I think your estimate of his Judgement is very nearly fair It would have been Entirely so had you Ümay I suggest Ümade some distinction between his Judgement of men and Things. Of men in detail he was not a good Judge of Mankind as a class I think he was a good Judge. He knew how to estimate Society or more correctly Societies, well; I think Mr. Lincoln at all times possessed strong common sense but not upon all subjects. I mean to say he sometimes Seemed weak in his Estimate of men Übut he had an instinctive aversion to a Mean Man Üdespised a knave pitied a fool and Laughed heartily at an ass There were however classes who could and did impose upon him ÜWhat you say of "his grand Elementsî no man who knew him can gainsay you Struck the key note of his whole nature and let his character out as God put it in him. I endorse Every word you say under the head of His "Heart and humanityî a most truthful and correct Statement it is of Just what he was. Mr Lincoln was not a man of strong attachments. He was the warm friend of few men but he was the true friend of Mankind. He loved Man as he loved his God Logically. I am sure you have weighed and if I may say so dissected him most fairly and with Thorough correctness. As an old and constant friend you have been Just to him, I hope your lecture may be preserved in an Enduring form I should be much pleased to have it in such shape as to refer to it conveniently. do you remember that Mr Lincoln was never given to praise much Üof any living man. and was not good at Eulogy upon the Dead. he never seemed to me to be an ardent admirer of any living being. He was as you say pretty much his own model, Ühe even spoke spareingly of men he did not like. and I believe was never a grumbler. he submited to adversity and injustice with as much real patience as any Man I Ever knew Übecause he had an abiding belief that all would yet come out right or that the right would appear and Justice ‚nally be awarded to him
I enclose and return herewith the printed copy as requested
very respectfully your friend
R. J. Oglesby
LC: HW2415¬16
115. Dennis F. Hanks to WHH
January the 6th 1866 Friend Billy
I Received your Letter January the 3d
The ‚rst question that you ask is this what has Be Cum of John Hall he was in town to Day You Say that have writen 3 or 4 Letters to him and got No answer what was it Billy that you wanted to No of him I can answer all that
[ Contents
] 
