[Hoot Gibson]

I provided sources, which can easily be looked up. I am not surprised, Hoot, that a sort such as you would completely buy into the sanitized version of Lincoln. However, this particular tack of yours in this thread is foolish. Again, I invite anyone interested to search out this quote, look at the Snope's site, and make their own determination. The quote, to my mind and satisfaction after research, is legitimate and squares with other things Lincoln wrote about in his letters or suggested in his speeches. The thought thread runs true. I know when things don't square with your tight little worldview, Hoot, that you get troubled. Ease your mind. Allow those who are interested enough to make their own determination.

The quote appeared nowhere in Lincoln's collective quotes and the official biographer labeled it a hoax. If you want to post such quotes on the DailyKos or DemocraticUnderground, you might not run into much resistanxe - but don't expect to post an unsourced quote in an OP here and have it accepted on its face.

It took very little time to discover that the authenticity of the quote is highly suspect.

As for buying into a sanitized version of Lincoln, you do not know what you are talking about. IMO, Lincoln is one of our most overrated presidents. He was unable to avoid the bloodiest war in this country's history and he botched the prosecution of the war in the early years, despite having huge strategic advantages over the Confederacy, before he finally put Grant in charge. Lincoln did what he had to do, but I suspect that many other presidents would not have done as good or better job. As a war president, Lincoln was no FDR. But Lincoln, unlike 0bama, was no socialist.