A personal friend of President Lincoln is authority for this:
“I called on him one day in the early part of the War. He had just
written a pardon for a young man who had been sentenced to be shot for
sleeping at his post. He remarked as he read it to me:
“‘I could not think of going into eternity with the blood of the poor
young man on my skirts.’ Then he added:
“‘It is not to be wondered at that a boy, raised on a farm, probably in
the habit of going to bed at dark, should, when required to watch, fall
asleep; and I cannot consent to shoot him for such an act.’”
“MASSA LINKUM LIKE DE LORD!”
By the Act of Emancipation President Lincoln built for himself forever
the first place in the affections of the African race in this country.
The love and reverence manifested for him by many of these people has,
on some occasions, almost reached adoration. One day Colonel McKaye, of
New York, who had been one of a committee to investigate the condition
of the freedmen, upon his return from Hilton Head and Beaufort called
upon the President, and in the course of the interview said that up to
the time of the arrival among them in the South of the Union forces
they had no knowledge of any other power. Their masters fled upon the
approach of our soldiers, and this gave the slaves the conception of
a power greater than their masters exercised. This power they called
“Massa Linkum.”
Colonel McKaye said their place of worship was a large building they
called “the praise house,” and the leader of the “meeting,” a venerable
black man, was known as “the praise man.”
On a certain day, when there was quite a large gathering of the people,
considerable confusion was created by different persons attempting to
tell who and what “Massa Linkum” was. In the midst of the excitement the
white-headed leader commanded silence. “Brederen,” said he, “you don’t
know nosen’ what you’se talkin’ ‘bout. Now, you just listen to me. Massa
Linkum, he ebery whar. He know ebery ting.”
Then, solemnly looking up, he added: “He walk de earf like de Lord!”