General George B. McClellan, (17 November 1861), The Civil War Papers of George B. McClellan, p. 135. McClellan is said to have often used Edwin M. Stanton's term the "original gorilla" in referring to Lincoln.
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I went to the White House shortly after tea where I found "the original gorilla," about as intelligent as ever. What a specimen to be at the head of our affairs now!

— General George B. McClellan

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "I went to the White House shortly after tea where I found "the original gorilla," about as intelligent as ever. What a specimen to be at the head of our affairs now!" in the context of "General George B. McClellan, (17 November 1861), The Civil War Papers of George B. McClellan, p. 135. McClellan is said to have often used Edwin M. Stanton's term the "original gorilla" in referring to Lincoln." to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Source: Wikiquote: "Abraham Lincoln" (Quotes about Lincoln: These are arranged alphabetically by author, followed by some of the more notable anonymous quotations about him.) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed February 05, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app

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#Abraham Lincoln#intelligent#original#specimen#shortly#gorilla#affairs#white#house#where#found#went
Abraham Lincoln

About Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln, a self-taught lawyer and politician, steered the United States through its most tumultuous period, the Civil War. His unwavering commitment to preserving the Union and abolishing slavery forever altered the course of American history and enshrined him as a champion of equality and justice.