“Continual cheerfulness is an unmistakable sign of wisdom.” - Anonymous

From “Lincoln 365,” by Arnold Kunst

November 11

Like the rest of Lincoln’s cabinet Edwin Stanton was gifted with massive talent, and as a necessary corollary, had an ego the size of a barn. Indeed, some of Lincoln's closest friends voiced their concern to Lincoln that Stanton just might go too far and try to run away with the whole concern.  Lincoln, however, was curiously unfazed by their concerns. He drawled: “we may have to treat him as they are sometimes obliged to treat a Methodist minister I know of out West. He gets wrought up to so high a pitch of excitement in his prayers and exhortations that they are obliged to put bricks in his pockets to keep him down. We may be obliged to serve Stanton in the same way, but I guess we'll let him jump awhile first.”