Born on Feb. 12, 1809, in a log cabin in backwoods Hardin co., Ky. (now Larue co.), he grew up on newly broken pioneer farms of the frontier. In 1842 he married Mary Todd. He continued his interest in politics and entered on the national scene by serving one term in Congress (1847-49). In 1861, Abraham Lincoln became the 16th president of the United States serving until his assassination April 4, 1865. Lincoln displayed great ability in law, a ready grasp of argument, and sincerity, color, and lucidity of speech.
“If I were to try to read, much less answer, all the attacks made on me, this shop might as well be closed for any other business. I do the very best I know how – the very best I can; and I mean to keep doing so until the end. If the end brings me out all right, what’s said against me won’t amount to anything. If the end brings me out wrong, ten angels swearing I was right would make no difference.”
“Leave nothing for tomorrow which can be done today.”
“What is conservatism? Is it not adherence to the old and tried, against the new and untried?”
“You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.”
“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”
“The shepherd drives the wolf from the sheep, for which the sheep thanks the shepherd as his liberator, while the wolf denounces him for the same act as the destroyer of liberty. Plainly, the sheep and the wolf are not agreed upon a definition of liberty.”
“In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It is the life in your years.”