Famous people’s unsent letters

16 Aug 2017 Comments Off

Dear Fellow Journalers,

Lest you think that you’re the only one who’s faced their inner demons of writing un-sent letters take heart. Several famous people have written these missives but instead of destroying them, kept them for us to read many years later.

Abraham Lincoln composed “hot letters” which later became “Never sent. Never signed.” According to Doris Kearns Goodwin of NPR, Lincoln dumped all his feelings on paper, then set it aside until he cooled down. Good thing too. One of those un-sent letters blamed General George Meade for letting Robert E. Lee escape after Gettysburg.

Mark Twain was as famous for penning “unallowable frankness and freedom” as he was for Tom Sawyer.

Harry S. Truman once almost informed the treasurer of the US that “I don’t think that the financial advisor of God himself would be able to understand what the financial position of the Government of the US is, by reading your statement.” He also was tempted to send the following to Senator Joseph R. McCarthy. “You are not fit to have a hand in the operation of the Government of the United States. I am very sure that the people of Wisconsin are extremely sorry that they are represented by a person who has a little sense of responsibility as you have.”

Wow, can you imagine if that letter had actually been sent! The effect of all these letters is the same- anger, release, PEACE.