Abe Lincoln's beard--the full story

[Subbarao Kambhampati <rao@asu.edu>]

While I alwyas hope that I get to teach my students a thing or two about
stuff other than the immediate topic of the course, little
did I realize that I might be teaching you guys about american history!
(It is interesting to note that the only ones who knew the story 
in the class were the two Indians ;-)

Anyways, here is a link to the Abe Lincoln beard story--with the girl's
letter, Lincoln's reply,  the pictures before and after
etc.

http://members.aol.com/RVSNorton1/Lincoln50.html

There is of course to a post-scriptum to the story, according to that
eminent historian Dave Barry. From his book
Dave Barry Slept Here: a sort of history of the united states, we learn
that  the little girl who suggested
that Abraham Lincoln grow a beard later suggested that he wear
mascara, rouge and may be a simple string of pearls.
"Fortunately," continues Dave, "just then the Civil
War broke out."  

Here is a link to Dave Barry's history book: 
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0345416600/103-6104091-7508610?vi=glance

It is all I know about US history.. 


Rao
---------------

ps: On a less (or more?) serious note, Lincoln's freeing of slaves was
far from an always-held-conviction. He was clearly against slavery from
the beginning. But, he worried about the ramifications of emanicipation,
and vacillated on the issue until quite late. He is, above all, a
consummate politician, and knew, in his own words

"Public sentiment is everything. With public sentiment, nothing can fail; without it nothing can succeed.

 As late as  fall 1862, he was ambivalent about
emanicipation.  Here are two telling quotes--showing his
transformation between August and December of 1862.

"My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save 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 to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union. I shall do less whenever I shall believe what I am doing hurts the cause, and I shall do more whenever I shall believe doing more will help the cause."
 
The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln edited by Roy P. Basler, Volume V, "Letter to Horace Greeley" (August 22, 1862), p. 388.



"In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free - honorable alike in what we give, and what we preserve. We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of earth. Other means may succeed; this could not fail. The way is plain, peaceful, generous, just - a way which, if followed, the world will forever applaud, and God must forever bless."

Lincoln's Second Annual Message to Congress, December 1, 1862.

Of course, this is not to in any way take away from his greatness; I tend
to like my heroes in 3-D with human foibles and indecision..