The one aspect we are all familiar when it comes to Abraham Lincoln, is that he was one of the most successful presidents in US history. What some may not know, is that it was almost accidental, and it was an extremely surprising event that he even got nominated by the Republican party. Lincoln himself say he accepted the nomination because it was "thrown upon him and he considered it was my duty"(246). This shows how Lincoln had greatness thrust upon him, much like the classic hero in the timeless hero-quest pattern. While this might seem to be a typical political statement of false humility, it was acknowledged that everyone in the country was "equally curious, not to say puzzled and apprehensive, about Lincoln"(246). He was a relative unknown, which further emphasized his humble origins, and sudden rise to greatness. He was not a lifetime senate member, running for election because he knew he had connections with the people in control. This is the classic American ideal of rising above your current status through hard work and diligence, and what better person to embody it than the President of America.
What is also an interesting truth about Lincoln that they bring up was his famous cabinet full of his political rivals. This was a revolutionary idea in its own concept as it meant stocking your office with people who actively disagreed with you. However, he may not have listened to his enemies as much as he has been given credit for. One of his cabinet member is quoted as saying "he never consulted his cabinet. He said they all disagreed so much he would not ask them -- he depended on himself -- always"(274). So for Lincoln's code of ethics he was trying to follow himself, and there was little room for outside opinion. This makes Lincoln seem much more temperamental and more following what he believed as compared to what was truly the right thing to do at the time. Another thing that may blemish Lincoln's perfect record would be his famous authorization "to suspend the writ of Habeas Corpus for the public safety"(280). This was done to prevent Maryland from seceding to the South and while that may have seemed paramount at the time, it now seems like a tarnish on someone who was supposed to defend freedom. It supports the idea that Lincoln was not perfect, but someone who had to make rash decisions without knowing all the information. This just means he was a human, and we can not let this one small incidence scar our image of him.
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5 comments:
Although he didnt listen to them, having people who disagree with you in your cabinet is a good thing. Rather than blindly obeying orders, they can give critique his ideas and tell him whats wrong with them. Its kind of like Obama appointing Hillary to the cabinet.
It's surprising to learn that Lincoln wasn't originally planning on becoming president. It's also intersting that he chose his rivals for his cabinet; you'd think that people back then were ignorant and interested in solely their own beliefs. It shows Lincoln was a revolutionary and reasonable thinker.
I think that what Lincon did with his cabinet was revolutionary - we will see how it holds up in our times as Obama is doing the same thing. I also agree when you say that we should not base our judgements of Lincon on some of his mistakes. Someone with that much stress in their everyday lives deserves some breathing room.
I was surprised that Lincoln's presidency was affected this much by luck. He didn't plan to run for presidency but he won and he did a great job. I agree that one decision should not tarnish our image of one of the greatest presidents.
"The American Dream"...that is exactly what Lincoln embodied. He rose from less than absolutely perfect conditions for a president, but then he showed everyone that he could do the job, even thought he made a few mistakes.
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