“And having thus chosen our course, without guile, and with pure purpose, let us renew our trust in God, and go forward without fear, and with manly hearts.” –Abraham Lincoln, July 4, 1861.
Today is the birth date of Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the United States of America. Five months before he became president, he wrote of himself: “I was born Feb. 12, 1809, in Hardin County, Kentucky. My parents were both born in Virginia, of undistinguished families–second families, perhaps I should say. My mother, who died in my tenth year, was of a family of the name of Hanks…. My father … removed from Kentucky to … Indiana, in my eighth year…. It was a wild region, with many bears and other wild animals still in the woods. There I grew up…. Of course when I came of age I did not know much. Still somehow, I could read, write, and cipher … but that was all.”
We all know that he was the president during the Civil War, and was assassinated shortly after re-election in 1865, at the age of 56. My oldest sons are 56 and 57, and although they are old enough to be grandparents, my mind is flooded with memories of their births and childhood. I myself am now 25 years older than Lincoln at the time of his death. So, forgive me if I think of him as a relatively young man whose life was cut short. One cannot help but wonder how history was changed by his passing during a period of critical events in national life.
The size and prominence of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. is evidence itself of the nation’s view of him as a great man. His rise from obscurity to greatness stands as an example for every person in this country who wants his/her life to have a lasting impact. His reputation as an honest man has influenced many through the years to be true to themselves as they strive for success.
Thus far we have had 44 presidents. There can be no doubt that Abraham Lincoln was one of the greatest.
First draft (of 5) of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address (November 19, 1863)