Abraham Lincoln

Happy Abraham Lincoln's Birthday!!!!!!

He was born on this date in 1809.  I was asked recently by several folks to rate our most recent Presidents.  That brought me back to Lincoln or, as W.E.B. DuBois wrote in September of 1922, "Again, Lincoln."  More about DuBois later.

I think Lincoln is, hands down, our greatest President.  That isn't to slight others, namely George Washington, who I also hold in the highest regard.  There are others, too, who I admire--Eisenhower, Truman, Jefferson, and more.  I realize that rankings/ratings of "Great" and such often include Franklin Roosevelt among the top.  I agree he belongs there, but for different reasons.  He was a very, very influential President, among other things, altering the entire federal system.  In that sense, he is deserving of his lofty post.  But I don't necessarily think what he accomplished was very good, at least not very beneficial to the US in the long haul.  I know that's a controversial position, but it depends on one's view of the role of government, particularly the federal government.  Beside, it sticks in my craw that even Harry Truman recognized, "The problem with the President [FDR] is that he lies."

Would it be a surprise if I said I don't think much, at least not much good, of our last several Presidents, going back to Clinton?  I am torn between some Presidents, such as Andrew Jackson and, to a lesser extent, Ronald Reagan.  I think JFK is overrated, although I recognize his gift for inspiring people to try to do things they ordinarily wouldn't do.  Despite what historians think of Woodrow Wilson, I'm not a big fan of his, either.  I am, however, perhaps surprisingly one who thinks favorably of Calvin Coolidge, an Amherst mate, if not a classmate, of mine.

So, Presidents' Day brings mixed reactions.  Although we've had a such a day for over a century, it sort of morphed into today's Presidents' Day.  Back when I was a kid (There, I said it!) both Lincoln's and Washington's birthdays were holidays, if not vacation days, at least celebrated.  In 1971, the Monday between those two Presidents' birthdays was formally created as Presidents' Day.  I strikes me as odd, among other things, that we choose to honor "all" Presidents.  Should we do so with, say, Andrew Johnson and James Buchanan?  How about Warren Harding or even Richard Nixon, who brought such disgrace to the office?  To lump them in with the likes of Lincoln and Washington almost seems like "participation trophies" to me.

But, "Again, Lincoln."  Lincoln was the President who won the Civil War.  He freed the slaves, getting rid of that blot on the American soul, one with which we still wrestle.  Yes, he freed the slaves.  Don't believe some of your teachers and textbooks who claim otherwise, especially regarding the Emancipation Proclamation.  Toss in winning the Civil  War, effectively ending slavery, and his efforts in pushing the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment.  And there's a whole lot more, but......

I think one of the greatest lessons we get from Abraham Lincoln was how he led his life.  Oh, despite my reverence for him, he wasn't perfect, wasn't God.  There's a story that he was, in the final days of the war, riding through and examining Richmond, VA, the Confederate war-ravaged capital.  On his horse he was recognized by some now freed, at least practically due to the victory of the Union, slaves.  They rushed over and surrounded him, falling to their knees, and praying--to him!  He became quite angry and raising his voice, shouted at them to stop.  "Do not pray to me!" he chastised them.  "I am not your God."  Pointing to a nearby church, he directed the blacks there.  "Go!  Go there and pray to your God."  Indeed, he was not perfect and he knew it.

W.E.B. DuBois, one of the founders of the NAACP in 1909, wrote an essay seemingly critical of Lincoln.  The essay brought criticism, including the wrath of many in the black community.  How dare he criticize "Father Abraham!"  (Note the Biblical reference many blacks had toward Lincoln.)  But he felt he needed to explain, that he wasn't being critical.  Quite the opposite.  Hence, "Again, Lincoln."

Included in this essay is this paragraph.  It, I think, demonstrates, in general, why and how Lincoln was such a great President--and man.  He, from this characterization, should be inspirational.  DuBois wrote:

"Abraham Lincoln was perhaps the greatest figure of the nineteenth century.  Certainly of the five masters--Napoleon, Bismarck, Victoria, Browning, and Lincoln--Lincoln is to me the most human and lovable.  And I love him not because he was perfect, but because he was not and yet triumphed.  The world is full of illegitimate children.  The world is full of folk whose taste was educated in the gutter.  The world is full of people hating and despising their fellows.  To these I love to say:  'See this man.  He was once one of you and yet he became Abraham Lincoln.'"  Indeed, "...he became Abraham Lincoln."

Happy Lincoln's Birthday!