Presidents Day

Today is Presidents Day and I thought I would just offer a few words. Last week I was interviewed by the local paper who wanted to write a story about Lincoln. http://www.themonitor.com/articles/lincoln_8970___article.html/slaves_war.html I thought it was a poorly written article about a very important man, and I did not like the way he used quotes from me. The author wanted to know what Lincoln’s impact was on the nation. However, he was looking for something new, not the mundane answer of Lincoln freed the slaves. However, as I said, it has become the generic answer, that Lincoln freed the slaves and keep the Nation together, but that was in fact his two most important accomplishments. The author wanted to show that Lincoln was not for freeing the slaves, I tried to argue that Lincoln always hated slavery, but it was not his principle concern, saving the nation was. But you can not take away the fact, no matter the reason, that under his presidency, 4 million slaves were given freedom.
Where the article fell short was honoring possibly our greatest president. I would like to spend a few moments discussing the qualities that made Lincoln so great. First his devotion to duty. Like our current president, Lincoln was not a popular president. He got us involved in a bloody and cruel war. But Lincoln was not out to win a popularity contest, he knew his duty was to save the nation and that is what he did. He almost lost reelection in 1864, but refused to change his message or alter his tactics in anyway to appease the population. Second his humanity. He became famous for stopping executions of soldiers, so famous in fact that his generals did all in their power to keep news of executions from reaching the president, knowing he would let them go. He often took time his busy schedule to write letter to parents of fallen soldiers. He listened to everyone without complaint. Every day lines would form outside the White House as people were allowed to meet with the president, 90% of those that came, wanted to complain. Lincoln would listen patiently, to everyone. He would often go outside and if he saw a soldier in line, he would bring them to the front. He showed his humanity, in the way he suffered. In personal writing he agonized over the numbers of men dying (in 100 years, it will be interesting to read Bush’s private letters, I bet he suffers the same way).
One his greatest attributes was his faith. He once said “without the assistance of the Divine being I can not succeed, and with it I cannot fail.” Another important attribute was his patience. He was criticized by everyone, and often embarrassed and disrespected by his Generals, but he never got angry unlike his counterpart, Jefferson Davis, that got mad at everyone and went through Generals and cabinet officers like changing clothes. Once General McClellan refused to come down stairs to see Lincoln. He made the president of the US wait hours until he finally decided to grace Lincoln with his precedence. This is the same General who when refereeing to Lincoln referred to his as the ape. Yet as long as Lincoln thought McClellan could win the war, he kept him.
My favorite part of Lincoln was his humor. He had to be the funniest president we have ever had. He was famous for his one liners in his conversation and his speeches. He said in one speech, “I have stepped out upon this platform that I may see you and that you may see me, and in the arrangement I have the best of the bargain.” What was great about his humor, was that he could make fun of himself. He was void of pride, and his self deprecating humor put people at ease. He was also America’s greatest speaker. His Gettysburg address is brilliant. In just a few paragraphs he summed up the entire reason for the war. If you have not read the Address, please do so, it is not long and is so powerful. I will attach it at the bottom, it is the best tribute I can think of.
I think it is wrong that we are not off school today. I have noting but respect for Dr. King, but why do we get his birthday off and not Washington and Lincoln’s or at least Presidents day. We have moved so far away from honoring our politicians, we forget that men like Washington and Lincoln should and need to be honored. In a time when a politician is the furthers thing from a hero, we forget that these men were and are heroes. Lincoln was truly a good man, and not just a good president. His conviction in the face of such tragedy deserves our respect and our honor. It is impossible in a short blog to tell all that was good about this great man (I would suggest David Donald’s Lincoln, great book), but suffice to say that if the US did not have this man during our greatest struggle, a man who would blend political expediency with high moral purpose, and who had the passion and determination to see the crisis through, our nation would be very different, and I am convinced much worse. After his death, his sec of war said it best, “he now belongs to the ages.”

As a tribute to Presidents day, read this speech, it goes across ages, generations, and wars. After Lincoln’s death, a great statesman said that Lincoln was wrong is in statement that the world will never remember what was said, Senator Sumner said, “"The world noted at once what he said, and will never cease to remember it. The battle itself was less important than the speech."

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.