The Letters of Franklin K. Lane, Personal and Political

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

4206

Title

The Letters of Franklin K. Lane, Personal and Political

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

This collection presents the personal and political correspondence of Franklin K. Lane, a passionate public servant whose life was defined by service to his country. Edited by his wife and a trusted friend, the letters offer an intimate glimpse into his mind as he navigated the tumultuous eras of the Progressive Era, World War I, and the early 1920s. The volume captures his intense devotion to public duty, his candid reflections on health and mortality, and his enduring reverence for...

Summary up to 500 words

Compiled from thousands of typewritten and holograph letters, *The Letters of Franklin K. Lane, Personal and Political* chronicles the life of Franklin K. Lane, tracing his journey from early journalism and law to his tenure as Secretary of the Interior and his service during World War I. Edited by Anne Wintermute Lane and Louise Herrick Wall, the volume preserves Lane's original punctuation and haste, offering an unvarnished look at a man whose active mind naturally turned to friends whenever engaged in personal, political, or philosophical problems. The correspondence reveals a figure of intense devotion, whose candid observations cover the war, the reorganization of the Interior Department, and his deep reverence for Abraham Lincoln, whom he viewed as the embodiment of American physical and spiritual strength. As his health declined, the letters become increasingly personal, detailing his surgical operations with remarkable detail and his reflections on mortality, faith, and the nature of virtue. The collection serves as both a historical document of the era's major events and a profound study of character, highlighting Lane's belief that the whole glory of virtue lies in activity. The text includes his candid observations on the war, his reorganization of the Interior Department, and his deep affection for Lincoln, whom he revered as the embodiment of American physical and spiritual strength. As his health declined, the letters become increasingly personal, detailing his surgical operations with remarkable detail and his reflections on mortality, faith, and the nature of virtue. The collection preserves his original punctuation and haste, offering an unvarnished look at a wandering mind that gossiped, preached, and prophesied. It serves as both a historical document of the era's major events and a profound study of character, highlighting Lane's belief that the whole glory of virtue lies in activity.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• History
• Politics