Illinois is Lincoln crazy. There are signs for Lincoln things
everywhere -- Lincoln owned a lot here; Lincoln stopped here for
dinner, etc. Many of the signs tell stories about Lincoln that
could be read as revealing his innate, native honesty but that struck
me more as depicting some sort of autistic or cognitively impaired
numbskull.
This is one of the stories. This one is related on a sign
outside this replica of the Postville Courthouse in Lincoln. (The
original building was purchased by Henry Ford and moved to his
Greenfield Village museum.)
In a trial, evidence was produced that showed Lincoln's client "had deceived him and was in reality trying to collect the note a second time."
After recess, Lincoln was not in court and was discovered by Sheriff Deskins in Postville Park playing town ball with the boys. Lincoln reportedly said he had left to clean his hands. When Judge Treat heard this, he supposedly said, "Honest Abe."
Rather strange behavior for a lawyer in the middle of a court hearing, and an even more bizarre reaction from the judge -- a reaction that it is difficult to explain unless the judge knew he was dealing with a simpleton.
This is not to say that I think Lincoln was a moron. It is
only to note that some people must find being an irresponsible moron
admirable and have re-written parts of the Lincoln story to accord with
their views.
