He was a "war president." In fact, the war over which he presided may have claimed more American lives than all other wars combined. But he's not remembered that way. You wouldn't catch him strutting around in a flight suit.He was the poet president. The man with the kind yet sad smile. And he hated the killing business. Though born and raised in the frontier, he never hunted, not even as a boy. He'd give Dick Cheney a raincheck. Although religious revivals were all the rage, he never joined a church. He'd give Pat Robertson a raincheck, too.
To his generals' dismay, he had an annoying habit of pardoning young men who fell asleep on sentry duty or who deserted. "If Almighty God gives a man a cowardly pair of legs how can he help their running away with him?" He often asked whether a "soldier can better serve the country dead than living."
Happy birthday, Abe. The country misses you.
Lincoln was a Republican, but his was no party of oppression. erialism. Iraq (and Iran) would have no appeal to him. Here's what Kurt Vonnegut thinks.
[I]t is almost always a mistake to mention Abraham Lincoln in a speech about something or somebody else. He always steals the show. I am about to quote him.
Lincoln was only a Congressman when he said in 1848 what I am about to echo. He was heartbroken and humiliated by our war on Mexico, which had never attacked us.
We were making California our own, and a lot of other people and properties, and doing it as though butchering Mexican soldiers who were only defending their homeland against invaders wasn’t murder.
What other stuff besides California? Well, Texas, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming.
The person congressman Lincoln had in mind when he said what he said was James Polk, our president at the time. Abraham Lincoln said of Polk, his president, our armed forces’ commander-in-chief: "Trusting to escape scrutiny by fixing the public gaze upon the exceeding brightness of military glory, that attractive rainbow that rises in showers of blood — that serpent’s eye, that charms to destroy, he plunged into war."
Holy smokes! I almost said, "Holy shit!" And I thought I was a writer!
13 comments:
It's interesting that Lincoln suspended Habeas Corpus and has been judged by history to be one of our finer presidents. The current guy gets savaged from both sides for getting the Patriot Act passed - with provisions that grant unprecedented rights to the same non-citizen, enemies whom FDR was executing in secret just 60 years ago. History is a curious thing.
Lincoln's government was under siege. The circumstances were far different.
Many unsavory things were done and are done secretly. The problem with what President Bush has done is that he openly flouted conventions. He attempted to make the claim that torture was and is acceptable and that it broke no laws. He attempted to change the rules of the game.
Lincoln followed the constitution; Bush has made it mockery, especially with those "signing statements.
Our constitution specifically provides, in Art 1, Sec 9, "The privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it."
We were in the middle of a rebellion so Lincoln did suspend the writ in certain areas for limited periods. And he sacked generals who went too far or beyond his specific instructions.
And so continues historical analysis through the prism of current political thought. History is largely opinion. Lincoln was called dictator, ape, nigger-lover - and is now cited positively by all political persuasions. It makes me wonder how Bill Clinton and George W. will be remembered 150 years hence, given all the nice things their opponents have said about them.
And yes, I agree. By granting rights to US courts for illegal aliens and the same terrorists who flew their plane into NYC and killed my 27-year old niece, the constitution has been thoroughly mocked.
I am sorry for your loss. But no president has flouted the constitution more than Bush. No president has damaged our international reputation more than Bush. Notwithstanding the Department of Homeland Security, anopther layer of bureaucracy that Rs are supposed to despise, the US is a much more dangerous placve with him at the helm. I think we will all breath a sigh of relief when he's gone. I';m happy w/ either McCain or Obama.
As of 2005, 167 "enemy combatants" have been released from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Evidently these 167 men were innocent of any crimes. Is it appropriate to not allow these innocent men to even know the charges brought against them? It's absurd.
The country is not in rebellion and not under invasion.
Lincoln Quote on Slavery
"will say then that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races - that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of making voters or jurors of Negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And in as much as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race."
KE: Old Abe sounds like a bonified racist to me! He addressed the Slave issue yes, but never becuase of the horrible conditions of Chattle Slavery. I thik he played a major role in fostering the concept of the Superior Race issue.
Kevin,
Lincoln did say that in 1858. But Lincoln was one of those very rare individuals whose thinking could actually evolve as more facts became available to him. By the time of his death, Lincoln firmly believed in equality. He believed that blacks should have both the vote and right to serve as jurors. This is thanks in no small part to his friendship w/ Frederick Douglas, which only begabn after he became president.
I have read a lot about this great man, and that includes his writings. If you look at the writings of his contemporaries, you'll see vulgar references to other races and religions. None of that is in Lincoln's own writing. He was a man way ahead of his time, even in 1858, when his thinking was flawed.
Unfortunately, his death resulted in so many problems during the reconstruction that he wouls have avoided.
Some time, you and I have to have a chat, one on one, about him.
Yes Berni, we should get together some time and discuss Abe....By the way, not sure if you knew but I've produced the e-letter Lehigh Valley Black News Network since 1999 and after seeing your blog I decide to develop one. Just check out www.lvbnn.com
I have about 4,500 + readers. Perhaps we could creat some good dialog on Abee Lincoln for my audiance. TTYS
Kevin, I'd love to do that. In fact, I tried to call you but could not get thru. My email is BOHare5948@aol.com. I'd love to talk about Lincoln. He is one of my passions. I think there's a misconception about him. His thinking evolved about many issues over time. We need to talk.
Bernie,
I agree with you 100%- just read his Gettysburg Address and you'll see how he evolved. I too, have a passion for this man and would love to join your discussion...
Bernie, I just want to point out that Kevin Easterling's point and your counterpoint were BOTH the point I made about Lincoln that got you so bent out of shape.
History has shown that Lincoln was bigoted. Hell, he thought blacks should all be sent back to Africa. But history has also shown that he was somehow able to overcome his bigotry in the course of his lifetime - an achievement we all should aim for and be inspired by.
LOLV,
No, there is a difference. You claimed Lincoln was bigoted and wass able to look past those bigoted feelings. I pointed out to you, as I did to Kevin, that Lincoln's thinking evolved, and that he was a very unusual person in that respect.
By the standards that existed at that time, even Lincoln's miost bigoted views would be regarded as enlightened. You make the mistake of judging him by today's standards. Even when he made that statement in 1858, it was a very enlightened view for a frontiersman. And as I pointed out to you, his writing contains none of the disparaging terms used by Sherman, Grant or Sheridan concerning blacks and Jews. By the time he was well into his presidency, his thinking on race had evolved much more.
I thought it unfair for you to refer to him as a bigot, even though you did admit he "overcame" that bigotry. Judge him by his contemporaries, and you will see that even his darkest views were well ahead of the times.
I did get bent out of shape with you bc he is the one man I revere the most.
You talk about the lack of leaders. There was a leader. More important than that, one of kindest and gentlest men who ever lived, the true poet president.
When I schedule a meeting with Kevin, I'll post it so anyone who wants to discuss this great man can join in.
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