ABRAHAM LINCOLN by Charles G. Leland

 

LELAND, CHARLES G. ABRAHAM LINCOLN - The New Plutarch Series

London: Marcus Ward & Co., 1879. First Edition. Decorative Hardcover. Good Plus/Very Good/No Jacket. 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall Rare A red and black hardback book of 246 pp., plus 2pp. of adverts. VERY RARE. Black covers have red decoration, front/back have an inset red rectangle and show a concentric design to middle with inset picture of a scribe with finial/fan top and bottom of a large rectangle. Front top half shows a plaque 'the New Plutarch' across a laurel wreath with 'Abraham Lincoln' in red letters to bottom half. Spine decorated in red, fan/finial, title, 'The New Plutarch' in laurel leaf on red background with three lines above and below, author, red flowers and publisher. Yellow endpapers decorated in brown lines around edges with brown lined 'maze-type' pattern containing dots and asterisks. Black/white drawing of Abraham Lincoln opposite title page.

 

'The New Plutarch - Lives of those who have made the History of the World', in this book, the final abolition of slavery by Abraham Lincoln. Charles Godfrey Leland, the biographer, enlisted in the Union Army 1863 and fought at the Battle of Gettysburg. Prior to joining up, he worked on the Union Army newspaper where he coined the term 'Emancipation' as an alternative to 'Abolition', to refer to the anti-slavery position.

 

He and his relative George H. Boker, had printed, 'The Leland - Boker Emancipation Proclamation'. At George Boker's request, some fifty of these proclamations were signed by:- Abraham Lincoln (President), William Seward (Secretary of State) and John Nicolay (Private Secretary to the President). These were sold as souvenirs at the Philadelphia Great Central Sanitary Fair in June 1864, held to raise money for sick and wounded soldiers and improve conditions in Military Camps.

 

Charles Leland was well placed to write this biography. He writes in the Preface:- 'I make no apology for adding another "Life of Abraham Lincoln", as I believe it impossible to make such an example of successful perseverance allied to honesty, as the great President gave, too well known to the world. And as I know of no other man whose life shows so perfectly what may be effected by resolute self-culture, and adherence to good principles in spite of obstacles. The life of Abraham Lincoln during his Presidency is simply that of his country - since he was so intimately concerned with every public event of his time. His career also fully proves that extremes meet, since in no despotism is there an example of any one who ever governed so great a country so thoroughly in detail as did this Republican of Republicans, whose one thought was simply to obey the people.

 

Chapters start from the birth of Lincoln, death of his Mother, boyhood and youth, first literary efforts, first Public Speech, clerk in a country store, land surveyor, postmaster, Lawyer at Springfield, marries Miss Todd, elected to Congress, Lincoln's letter on Slavery, nomination to Presidency, elected President, Lincoln's impartiality, breaking out of the rebellion, treachery of President Buchanan, southern sympathisers, Lincoln's Inaugural Address, the days of doubt and darkness, troubles in Maryland, relations with Europe, the slaves, Proclamation of Emancipation, Black troops, the plan of the War, Battle of Fredericksburg, the Alabama, Battle of Gettysburg, Lincoln's speech at Gettysburg, Battle of Chattanooga, New York riots, proclamation of Amnesty, Lincoln's speech at Philadelphia, suffering in the South, Battle of the Wilderness, Naval victories, Lincoln re-elected, the President's reception of Negroes, the south opens negotiations for Peace, end of the War, Death of Lincoln, public mourning, President Lincoln's characteristics, his love of humour, pithy sayings, his Dignity, complete with an index.

 

Light shelf wear with a few small chips to top/bottom spine. A few small rub marks to covers. Page edges darkened, pages have some browning and foxing here and there, heavier to first/last few pages, fep splitting but attached, text clear. Inscription to first page includes date 1882. Occasional turning creases to top/bottom corners of pages.(Book ref. 000426)   £120.00