Unlike that of winston churchill, abraham lincolns humor tended toward selfdeprecation. During one of the debates in illinois, the spectator shouted that lincoln was being twofaced. Twofaced, cried lincoln, if i had two faces, do you think i would wear this one . [laughter] his humor was an essential component of his persona. Richard carwardine will explore with us whether his humor might also occasionally have been a handicap. Richard carwardine was educated at Corpus Christi and queens colleges oxford and at the university of california at berkeley. For three decades he taught history at the university of sheffield before being appointed roads professor of American History and institution at Oxford University and a fellow of Saint Catherines college. He was elected president of Corpus Christi college ine au 20 and served in that post until 2016. He is the author of one of the finest modern biographies of the 16th president , lincoln, a life of purpose and power, and lincolns sense of humor. Ladies and gentlemen, professor richard carwardine. Good morning. Im going to begin with a wellknown story, familiar to w some of you. Banquet in illinois. Evening the month was february. Wthe year was 1856. The setting was a convention of republicanditors newspaper editf decatur. Abraham lincoln was there, and he spoke. He apologized for being an interloper, as he put it, and cast himself as the subject of a story about aut a m man, and i quote, with features the leaders could not call handsome. Eriding through the woods he met a lady on horseback. He waited for her to pass but instead she stopped and scrutinized him before saying, well, you are the homeliest man i ever saw. Yes, madam, but i cant help it. No, i suppose not, said thepr lady, but you might stayop at home. [laughter] once the it i editor stopped life and stopped life in, he said with propriety, he might have stayed at home. I chose it because it is particularly apt. I was scheduled to speak your last year, but when it came to it i stayed at home. Now i may possibly be theecially ugliest man you have ever seen, though i certainly hope not, but that wasnt why i stayed away. I simply wasnt well enough to travel. I am especially grateful to to john and the executive community of the institute for extending the invitation a second time. I want to thank michael, who while i was working on my book on lincolns you were, i was aware of those who questioned my choice of a subject lacking in gravitas and so marginal to the issues of wiccans time. Who i believe, however, people are about themselves when being funny than when they are serious. It was playdoh who reflected serious things cannot be grasped without ridiculous ones. No one indulged in humor more thanke h lincoln. It was as characteristic of him as hisinsi hat, but unlike his , it was intrinsic element of the man. It was a way ssof life,ed a habt of mind. Itity expressed his essentials. Humanity, his sense of proportion, his understanding of human foibles. What prompted my research, my inquiry, was a remark that lincoln made to david ross lock. He was a young ohio newspaper man. He was a merciless satirists of the peace democrats, the copper heads. His a satire centered on a copper head protest. Pastor of a pro slavery church, he was a drunken, greedy racist. Lock it called him a Nickel Plated son of a bit. The v stood for vesuvianas, and illusion to his bigoted and eruptions of the day. It was syndicated in Union Newspapers locke ridiculed opponents of the administration, and it delighted lincoln. The papers were his constant companion, the painfully copy in the labor of congress has singe marks made by the president s candle during his nighttime reading. He could quote passages at will, on the final afternoon of his reading life, he delayed dinner byold reading maze be allowed to two old friends from illinois. Esefor the genius to write these things, i woulde to gladly give up my office. Then pleasure he took into locke assault speaks the value of the moralhe eth springs of lincolnk humor. Hesa tiadmired a great ethicalss force of lockesoc satire. A close associate maintain that the president hi m read the papes as much as he did the bible. Lincoln relished pretty well form of the comic, tall tales of absurdity, wordplay, delight in the plasticity and ambiguity, the surprises ofl fay language. The quickwitted, the irony, the logical fallacies, and the notoriously dirty jokes and stories. But it is love tells us that his chief measure was satirical humor. It was comic writing delivering a moral critique. But as my title indicates, i will focus this morning on the utility of lincolns humor. The purpose to which he put it, personal and political that co benefits that are crude, the political danger that lay inoris being known as a humourist, derv particularly as a leader in time of war. I will suggest on balance that heghte derived more advantage fa the pursuit of laughter. His humor was an essential elementt in his skill, and in public affairs. We should recognize that lincoln deployed humor as an act of deliberate selfconscious therapy. As a Health Giving south. His appetite for comic release, then interest vulnerability to depression, were two sides of the same coin. Laughter was a therapeutich he. Antidote to the low spirits which he was prone. He explained it, if it were not for these stories, suggests, jokes, i should die. They give event, they are the events ofof my moods and gloom. At the landmark Cabinet Meeting of september the 22nd, 1862, where he unveiled thert piece. Preliminary emancipation proclamation, he began by why reading out a short piece. Gentlemen, why dont you laugh . He asked his irritated colleagues. With a fearful strain that is upon me, night and day, if i did not laugh, i should die. Schumer was of course a means ofy empowerment, of imposing himself ont others. From an early age, lincolns odi comic storytelling, memory, made him entertaining company. His odd lengthy appearance, hisa appetites, my in another young man been a recipe for social reticence and shyness. But his physical awkwardness seemed to and not trouble him. Rather, he had a strong sense w salt word and enjoyed the personal regard that he wanted fromfor his amiable wit and grt stories. This social empowerment helped for example to secure his election as a military captain in thessme black war, to win him the respect of fellow congressman in his washington boarding house, to make him the magnetas a for the well disposed attention of lawyers andla residents gathered at theif countye, seats of the illinois eighth circuit. Ouldlater in life, lincoln would repeatript with glee the description of a type of southwestern political orator who, i quote, mounted the road strung, threw back his head, shined his eyes, open his mouth, and left the consequences to god. In sharp contrast, there was little in lincolns own speeches that was not planned and well calculated. His use of humor in public addresses and public in inten conversations was really lacking in a broader intent or designed to cover up emptyty thought. The utility of his humor can ben op categorized under six headings. At times it leading crushing opponents. More commonly, when you use as a means of self deprecation, emphasizing his common touch,ity humor could be a weapon of subtle attack. Sometimes it was a way of selfs disingenuously planting a self servingg idea into the minds. It provided a means of tactical diversion, of confiscation. He also had a role in relations of public morale. Above all, he used his storiesrm as o parables, as a persuasive form of political explanation. First then the use of humor toig crush opponents. As an inspiring wig politician, lincoln occasionally resorted to cruel and aggressive humor not the to put his opponents one defensive, but to evisceratingse and humiliate them. The socalled roasting of forkner was a one instance of lincoln using his power to hurtg to great effect. Thee occasion was a meeting in front of a large crowd in springfield during his campaign for reelection to the statepeech legislature in 1836. Lincolns impressive speech demt prompted a request from a prominent local democrat, that he be given the stand. Lincolns wig party and hadm whg been rewarded by his new associates withlso bua lucratie public office. He had also build the best house in the city, over which he had erected a lightning rod, theears only one in the place. En io15 years lincoln senior, then. Patronizing declared that the young man would have to be taken down. After waiting with suppressed excitement, lincoln resumed the stand. He acknowledged that he was young, into that he said that his critics i a remember i am o. In years than i am in the tricks and trades of politicians. I desire totinc wou live, and ie to place a distinction. But i would rather die now thany like the gentlemen, live to see the day i would change my politics for an officefice w woh 3000 dollars a year. And then feel compelled to erect a lightning rod to protect my guilty conscience from and offended god. laughs during the same phase of life, lincoln learned the painful lesson that aggressiveent, humor could injure its author as well as its a target. September of 1842, he wrote for the pages of a journal. A satire ridiculing the 36 year old james shields, the stateh a auditor. Shields was an impetuous man with a short fuse. He had good reason to rage with assault insult at the sexual insinuations, the demeaning assault on his character. Shields challenge link into a dual, lincoln reluctantly accepted the challenge. We cannot be sure how andcavalrd intended the dark humor in his h selection of weapons, the broadswords on the largest size, precisely equalshl in all respects. Eight inches taller thanhe shields, lincoln it would havetd a huge advantage in reach. Gro he did manage a joke on the way to the dueling grounds past the hundreds that turned out. Ntuc heki was reminded, he said, of l young kentucky and who sweetheart, as he was leaving home to fight in 1812, presented him with a belt that t embroidered byha the woman said victory or death. Isnt that rather too strong, a volunteer said, suppose you put victory or be crippled. laughs avert only at the last moment was a dual averted. Who never again would lincoln, who a was deeply embarrassed by the whole episode, right insulting anonymous, or sudan amiss,extre, satire. Ehe recognized that when it taken to offensee, to an extre, it could really cool its author as well as its victim. Over time, lincoln learn to be more death pol and subtle. Witas a mature politician, he d gentler with to put his opponents on the back foot. Douno one was more aware of ths thanear Stephen Douglas who declared that he did not feel that lincoln in debating matters of substance, butand co confess that there is one thing however of which i stand constantly in dred, when lincoln begins to tell a story, i begin to get apprehensive. Every one of his stories seems like a whack on the money back. That is exactly the effect that the allegories and and luxuries of which he has mastered has upon me. Nothing fee else disturbs me but when he begins to tell a story, i feel that i am to be overmatched. Next, selfdeprecation and subtle attack. In the face, his face to face, engagement with the public, lincolns use of stories and jokes was designed to remind people of his lowly origins, big longing to the backwoods, to the prairie. It encourage commit people to see him as a natural manan lacking engage in with ordinary people. Lincolns lifelong self self identification with plain folk was closely allied to his habit of selfdeprecation. As i noted on the outset, he made much of his appearance. Conscious of his unusual physical proportions, his height, his unusually long that limbs, aware that manyid considered himered an ugly man,e faced that headon. His jesting gave rise to an idea that as he was splitting rails, he looked down the gun bare of a passer by explaining that he had tha promised to shot the first man that he met who was uglier than himself. Ed wgetting a good look at the mans face, like a remarked while bearing his chest, if i am uglier than you, then blaze away. laughs this self mockery amounted to for more than a means ofrange securing a laugh y preventing comments about his strange looks. His modest upbringing, his underd calculated eccentricities. It was also a means of enlisting the audience on the side of the underdog. He used this a big man, little man, technique throughout his prepresident ial years against some of thehe beasts in the illinois democracy. In his political wrestling with douglas throughout the 18 fifties, he assumed the identity of a modest provincial facing worldwide renowned of the democrats prime hope for the white house, who enjoyed the status of a very great man while he himself was a small man. Diminu the heavy irony of this language intensified by the site of the diminutive little giant standing next to ther elongated lincoln. Fse lincoln also used laughter to aa larger self serving idea. As a lawyer, he wielded humorra totion plant the seed to shape deliberations of a jury. During a lunch break, he hasan n said to have told jurors the qu. Story of a small boy who ran to someone his father. Come quick, he counted. Ing there is a man pulling downs finance, and shes pulling up herer theyre getting ready to pea all over the hay. Ay the father replied, son, you[lah have your facts right but you have john the wrong conclusion. I later in court, following his opponents lengthy speech, told the jurors that my opponent has his facts right, but he is wrong in conclusion. Proand he won the case. Sedschumer also provided a means of diversion. Heon used w anecdotes to turn oo smooth the conversation without getting offensive. In late 1863, an infernal nuisance of a brooklyn postmaster with his eyes on thea following president ial election, fastened himself to the tycoon and try to get into the conversationn on the subject ofm off the the succession with lincoln. Would he run again . The president put him off with a story of his friend jesse two boys who has a auditor controlled the use of thehe Illinois State house inligious r springfield. Preacher request city as theut . Venue for a religious lecture. What is it about . Said jesse. A Second Coming of chris. Ringnonsense. If chris had been to springfieldld of coming again. Lear one of the president s most stressful tasks, as leader of the administration in 1861, was dealing with the avalanche of information and bombarded with requests. Onehe day a delegation call to urge the appointment of an acquaintance of theirs, as commissioner of the sandwich aisles. And pos they emphasize not only, the sickness but poor healthth g would benefit from the balmy climate. And he replied gentlemen imn. Say but there are eight other applicants for that place and they are all secure than your man. Above all else, lincolns stories are parables, of instruction, and elucidation. Ena they gave him the means of driving home politicalite aim in arguments, while engaging in the economy. He never seem to talk withoutesm some death definite aim in mind. Few stories i heard him say,i y it was always meant to illustrate someme point. Definedt i have lincoln himself said, they say ion tell a great deal of storie, do, but i find that people, common people, and take them as they run, are more easily influenced and informedas through the medium abroad illustration, rather than any other way. Telegraphed that he had pope captured 5000 confederates, was they asked opinion the president s opinion, he said that reminds me of an old woman the doctor gave her medicine for her constipation and the next morning he found hershe fresh, and well and getg breakfast. Shey confirmed that the medicine had worked. So how many movements, the physician inquired. Riou142 she replied. And the physician said that serious. The physicians at how many 142. And she said i tell you 142. 140 of them, wind. Lincoln closed the discussion, and i am afraid the captures are 140 of them wind. During a critical phase, when britain threatened war, he recalled the drunk, there were lots of drunks in lincoln story the one who strayed into Illinois Church and fell asleep in the front row. He slumbered on and someone asked, who is on the lords side . The congregation responded by rising. When the preacher inquired, who are on the side of the devil . The sleeper stood, but not fully grasping the inquiry, he stood up, i dont exactly understand the question, he said, but i will stand by you. Hoho hopeless minority. T we are in a [laughter] the power of lincolns humor to enforce his argument wass always. Stible, confirmed the president as the representative ofghts americans. The womens rights activists rebuked those fine ladies who were repelled by the president s homely manners and jokes. As a nation, she wrote, we are unintelligent. Lincoln fairly represents our average attainment and he has never written a letter that his constituents cannot understand. His homely wisdom has kept his name alive. Our divine master he did know how to tell a simple, instructive story. During his presidency,su s lincn supporters seized on his use of humor to show how occupants of the white house could remain a people. He proadministration newspapers readily drew attention to the president s latest story. Lincolns private secretary cultivated a warm relationship with severalent wi journalists d supplied them with examples of the president wit. Commercial interests exploiteddent this benign humor. And compilations of jokes and rarely, supposedly but originating with the president. In setting up the moral disda ve of lincolns storytelling, his supporters sought to counter his opponents disdain for a chief magistrate whose tastenfi jokes they declared made him unfit for his position. Grgrconfederates and critics ine union seized on lincolns humor as a stick with which to beat him. His appetite for jokes revealed a lack of gravitas. He used humor to mask his deficiencies. Cruel disregard for the victims of war. Lincoln, the heartless buffoon, became a recurrent theme. Opposition presses were quick to talk about a cartoon, columbia confronts published after the union losses atou i fredericksburg. A cartoon that i think isa femae available to you in your packswi this morning. Thth lincoln,hed points ater armar stands outside Thee Department between Edward Stanton and joe hooker and asks where are my 15,000 suns murdered at fredericksburg . It reminds me of a joke from an outraged interruption. Go tell your joke at springfield. Democrats insinuated a critique of lincoln the joker into each and every one of their campaigning themes of 1864. None was more challenging then the charge of lincolns shocking levity in the face ofsn numbing military slaughter. The widow maker who lays theig nation across his knee n and tickles her catastrophe with obscene jokes and littlee stories came a campaign staple. Nothing gave this attackin greater power than the bo