Marion Mills Miller was born at Eaton, Ohio, February 27, 1864. He was
graduated from Princeton in 1886, and for several years thereafter was
an instructor there in the English department. In 1889 he received the
degree of Doctor of Literature from his Alma Mater. Since 1893 he has
been engaged in literary and social reform work in New York City. He
has published some verse and fiction, but his most notable work has
been in the fields of translation and history. He has edited _The
Classics--Greek and Latin_ (15 volumes), published in 1909, and _Great
Debates in American History_ (14 volumes), published in 1913.
In 1907 he edited the Centenary Edition of _The Life and Works of
Abraham Lincoln_ in 10 volumes, logically arranged for ready
reference. The _Life of Lincoln_ was published separately in 1908 in
two volumes. It is based on a manuscript by Henry C. Whitney, whose
name it bears as author, although the second volume, _Lincoln, the
President_, was largely written by Dr. Miller. The late Major William
H. Lambert, president of the Lincoln Fellowship, called it "the best
of the shorter biographies of Lincoln." Dr. Miller has also edited
_The Wisdom of Lincoln_ (1908), a small book of extracts from
Lincoln's speeches and writings. He wrote the following poem, "Lincoln
and Stanton," especially for THE POETS' LINCOLN.
The first reference in it is to the Manny-McCormick case over the
patent rights of the reaping machine, in which Lincoln had been at
first selected as principal pleader, but was superseded by Edwin M.
Stanton. Having thoroughly prepared himself, he offered his assistance
to Stanton, but was brusquely repulsed. He was so hurt that he felt
like leaving the court room, but decided, in loyalty to his client, to
remain, and, leaving his place among counsel, took a seat in the
audience. Despite his injured feelings he was filled with admiration
for Stanton's able and successful conduct of the case. Lincoln,
probably referring to a slur of Stanton reported to him, said that he
would have to go back to Illinois and "study more law," since the
"college-bred" lawyers were pushing hard the "cornfield" ones.
The second reference is to Stanton's criticism of Lincoln's
conservative course during the first months of his Presidency; "that
imbecile at the White House," he called him. Stanton as
Attorney-General at the close of Buchanan's administration had done
effective work in foiling the plans of the Confederacy, and he
believed in forceful measures to put down the rebellion in its
incipiency.
The third reference is to the virtually enforced resignation of Simon
Cameron, Lincoln's first Secretary of War, and Lincoln's choice to
succeed him of Stanton, whom he realized to be the best equipped man
in the country for the place.
The fourth reference is to Stanton's remark by the bedside of Lincoln
as the stricken President ceased breathing: "There lies the greatest
leader of men the world ever saw."