Existing comment:
A Distinctive Voice:
With his earthy stories and homespun turns of phrase, Lincoln didn't sound like other statesmen of the time. Some thought his use of language unpresidential. Following one speech, traditionalists protested his use of the term "sugar-coated."
The public printer went to the White House to remind the president of the difference between a message to Congress and an Illinois stump speech. He found Lincoln unmovable. "John, that term expresses precisely my idea, and I am not going to change it," he told his visitor. "Sugar-coated" must stand. The time will never come in this country when the people will not understand exactly what 'sugar-coated' means." |