Abraham Lincoln - Still a Great Leader to those who love the Republic!

Today, some patriotic American people who still care about the Republic may remember that it is Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. However, many may not even want to remember his birthday based on their own bias or prejudice. Abraham Lincoln is seemingly still as controversial in our time as he was in his own. The state governments that consider Lincoln as a president to be honored over President’s Day weekend, confuse the purpose of the federal holiday known as 'President’s Day'. However, though some state governments honor Lincoln in such a way, there are others in the old southern states that refuse to honor Lincoln in such a way on President’s Day. The pain of the Civil War endures even into this millennium.

A nation without heroes or great examples of genuine leadership is a nation not fully rooted in its foundation

The federal holiday referred to as President’s Day is really to honor George Washington’s birthday as the first president. However, since the 1971 legislation that created a “one day fits all” President’s Day, a great deal of confusion was created that endures today. Yet, from the 1970s until now, America has changed in a drastic way. Washington and Lincoln are no longer respected the way they once were. The Left has on purposely and repeatedly attacked the characters of these two great men. A nation without heroes or great examples of genuine leadership is a nation not fully rooted in its foundation. Thus, a nation without heroes is a population with a problem of identity--a nation that can be remade in the image or likeness of whom the Left happens to designate as heroes. Their great leaders are Stalin, Mao, or Castro. But, today is Abraham Lincoln’s birthday--still remembered by those who still care about the Republic as a great leader. Unfortunately, for those challenged by history, or who are ignorant of Lincoln’s greatness, remembering the real Abraham Lincoln is primarily limited to study in U.S. history classes. But these days, history is not taught, “history” is a series of narratives that suffice for honest history. Yet, the great American writer Carl Sandburg likened Abraham Lincoln to a character out of a Russian fairy tale. Many Americans are aware that he was born in a shabby log cabin in the backwoods of Kentucky on February 12th in 1809. Many today, as they peer back into the shadows of history, may consider it quaint, but this man who grew to become president was born essentially into poverty. Humble roots and Mr. Lincoln’s life experiences shaped his choices in life and helped him in struggling with serious adversity during his life to become a decent man and a great president.

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“The things I want to know are in books. My best friend is the man who’ll give me a book I haven’t read.”

Actually, Lincoln did not just appear on the scene one day robed in greatness. Although the fabled memories of Lincoln’s birth and early start in life are considered important, they were of little importance until the man seriously considered the prospects of a career in national politics. Realistically, it is not likely a man of Lincoln’s caliber would want to run for political office today, nor would it be likely he would be elected. Lincoln was not a well-educated man, even by the standards in his day. Understandably, Lincoln was not proud of his roots and most of his early life experience, and was certainly not proud of his impoverished education. When requested to provide a brief account of his early years, he did write a “little sketch” as he described it. Lincoln sent it to Jesse W. Fell on December 20, 1859. Lincoln wrote a brief introduction to the sketch and stated: “There is not much of it, for the reason, I suppose, that there is not much of me…” This autobiographical sketch was combined with other facts related to Mr. Lincoln’s legislative and political accomplishments and forwarded by Fell to Joseph H. Lewis, who used the material to prepare a more extensive memoir, which was provided to many newspapers of the day. This essentially helped supportive delegates prepare for Lincoln’s nomination at the Republican Convention in Chicago the following June. Lincoln’s “little sketch” was one of the most extensive accounts he committed to paper regarding the events of his own life. And, the first paragraph dealt more with his Lincoln family heritage. It should be noted that Lincoln once commented about his past, “It is a great piece of folly to attempt to make anything out of my early life. It can all be condensed into a simple sentence, and that sentence you will find in Gray’s Elegy – ‘the short and simple annals of the poor.’ That’s my life, and that’s all you or anyone else can make out of it.” Other than such brief references, Lincoln did not like to talk much about his early life due to the dismal circumstances. The most remarkable part of Lincoln’s story is that the boy eventually grew to manhood, and along the way, he managed to overcome limitations and deficiencies as best as he could. What he lacked in formal education, he compensated for through his efforts devoted to personal study and in reading whatever material he could borrow or secure in one way or another. He was an avid and voracious reader, and he would walk miles just to borrow books. He once stated, “The things I want to know are in books. My best friend is the man who’ll give me a book I haven’t read.”

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His anger toward the Democrat Party fueled his desire to enter politics and become a member of the Whig Party

Despite serious efforts to overcome his essential lack of capabilities or resources, Lincoln was not proud of his early beginnings and did not seek to glorify them like so many biographers. He was not inclined to speak much of those times, unless it was to contrast his humble roots with wanna-be aristocrats seeking to portray themselves as someone they were not. He seriously took issue with such individuals after he became involved in the political realm. And, while the Republicans are able to claim Lincoln as one of their founding members, Lincoln may not have been too fond of the Republicans of this day. However, his anger toward the Democrat Party fueled his desire to enter politics and become a member of the Whig Party. Actually, Lincoln was more associated with the Whigs of his day than the Republicans, even though his fame came as the first Republican president. There is a story about Lincoln as told by Professor Allen Guelzo of Gettysburg College that expresses the Lincoln-like manner. According to Guelzo, in 1840, while Lincoln campaigned for the Whig presidential candidate, William Henry Harrison, he debated against Democrat Colonel Dick Taylor. Lincoln took offense when Taylor criticized the Whigs as aristocrats. Lincoln made the point that while Taylor had his stores over the county, and rode in a fine carriage, wore his kid gloves, holding his gold-headed cane, he (Lincoln) was a poor boy, hired on a flat boat at eight dollars a month, and had only one pair of breeches. Lincoln concluded that if you call that aristocracy, he would plead guilty to the charge. Today, unfortunately, Lincoln is controversial to both Libertarians and the Left, and it is doubtful he would identify with the RINOs. Yet, to his detractors, it is best they read his own words, or to read words of those who truly knew him. He was not a god. He was simply a man who strove to overcome the odds stacked against him pretty much throughout his life. But, this much is true, if American parents could raise more kids like Lincoln, we could get through our future trials as he got through those that confronted him. Happy Birthday, Mr. Lincoln!