It was certainly far from being natural among Lincoln's own people.

Americans of his time were generally of the opinion that it was dishonorable to overlook a personal injury.

They considered it weak and unmanly not to quarrel with another man a little harder than he quarreled with you.

The pioneer was good-natured and kindly; but he was aggressive, quick-tempered, unreasonable, and utterly devoid of personal discipline.

A slight or an insult to his personality became in his eyes a moral wrong which must be cherished and avenged, and which relieved him of any obligation to be just or kind to his enemy.