Lincoln was delighted to advocate for those he knew to be wronged, but he would not defend the guilty.
If he discovered during a trial that he was on the wrong side, he lost all interest and ceased any exertion.
Once, while engaged in a prosecution, he found his client's cause unjust and refused to make the plea. His less scrupulous associate made the plea and won the case. The fee was nine hundred dollars, half of which was tendered to Mr. Lincoln, but he refused to accept a single cent.
His honesty was further illustrated by how he managed accounts with his law partner. When receiving a fee in his partner's absence, he would take half for himself and carefully set aside the other half, labeling it "Billy," his partner's familiar name. When asked why he didn't just record it and use the full amount temporarily, Mr. Lincoln answered, "Because I promised my mother never to use money belonging to another person."