Father Abraham

Yes this is a sketch blog. . .but I can't help but type more words than you care to read. . .and put up less pictures than you expect to see. I've been reading this bargain B&N book "The Wit and Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln" which contains various stories that bring to light our 16th President's humor, knack for story telling, kindness, good-hearted nature, and pure genious. Dear Mr. Lincoln is the one historical figure I deeply miss; though, how that is possible to miss someone you have never known, I do not know. There was obviously no chance for our time periods to have ever crossed. . .and yet I feel that if he was alive today, he would be able to help this world greatly once again. But this great man has done enough and endured more than any individual should have in a lifetime. So to wish the impossible (if the impossible were possible), would only be selfish. With him being on my mind quite often, I felt like sketching him. The sketch, I feel is nothing one can consider even remotely decent. His face is also squashed in from the side. But I sketched him and it helped ease the obsessive quality of my mind.

So enough blabbering from me. . .and forgive me, I will not allow future posts to be as wordy (this *may* be a lie): This, however, is my blog and I wish to share a quote or two from the book. Let's let the man do the speaking!

In a letter to Horace Greely (I believe a big newspaper man), Abraham Lincoln writes:
"I would save the Union, I would save it in the shortest way under the Constitution. If there be those who would not save the Union unless they could at the same time save slavery, I do not agree with them. If there be those who would not save the Union unless they could, at the same time, destroy slavery, I do not agree with them. My paramount object to this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it; and if I could do it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would also do that. What I do about slavery and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it will help to save the Union. I shall do less whenever I believe what I am doing hurts the cause, and I shall do more whenever I believe doing more will help the cause. I shall try to correct errors when shown to be errors, and I shall adopt new views as fast as they shall appear to be true views."

I guess just one quote for now. . .I hope you enjoyed.