INTRODUCTION

The facts of Lincoln's early life are best stated in his own words,
communicated in 1859[see Appendix] to Mr. J. W. Fell, of Bloomington,
Illinois. Unlike many men who have risen from humble surroundings,
Lincoln never boasted of his wonderful struggle with poverty. His
nature had no room for the false pride of a Mr. Bounderby, even though
the facts warranted the claim. Indeed, he seldom mentioned his early
life at all. On one occasion he referred to it as "the short and
simple annals of the poor." Lincoln himself did not in any way base
his claims to public recognition upon the fact that he was born in a
log cabin and that he had split rails in his youth, although, on the
other hand, he was not ashamed of the facts. More, perhaps, than any
other man of his time he believed and by his actions realized the truth
of Burns' saying, "The man's the goud, for a' that." The real lesson
to be drawn from Lincoln's life is that under any conditions real
success is to be won by intelligent, unwavering effort, the degree of
success being determined by the ability and character of the
individual. Still less profitable is the attempt to contrast the
success of Lincoln with that of Washington, or Jefferson or of any
other American whose early circumstances were more favorable than
Lincoln's. In each case success has been worthily won, and we
Americans of the present generation should rejoice that our country has
produced so many great men. True patriotism does not consist in the
recognition of only one type of Americanism, but rather in the grateful
acceptance of every service that advances the fortunes and raises the
reputation of the republic. Peculiar interest attaches to the
character of Lincoln's early reading and especially to the small number
of books that were accessible to him. In these days of cheap and
plentiful literature it is hard for us to realize the conditions in