Rudy Giuliani's Own "Team Of Rivals"?

At a recent town hall meeting in Chicago, Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani was asked if he'd consider adding Republican rivals to his cabinet, as did Abraham Lincoln. Giuliani thought it would be a "great idea," because after all, he's read Doris Kearns Goodwin's book "Team Of Rivals: The Political Genius Of Abraham Lincoln."

Yet another modern candidate is apparently trying to emulate Lincoln. The operative words in Goodwin's book in my opinion are "Political" and "Genius." Are any of the current crop of Republican (or Democrat) candidates "political geniuses"? That remains to be seen, of course, and only time will tell. But if past performance is any indication, I would have to think not.

Then, of course, if Giuliani wins election to the presidency, he would have to be wise enough to select his "team of rivals" for their intelligence and abilities. Do any of those other candidates measure up to a Secretary of State like William Seward? Would any of the potential Department of Defense chiefs match up well to Edwin M. Stanton, Lincoln's Secretary of War? Any folks with the ability of Salmon B. Chase to head up Treasury?

Finally, the President has to be a strong enough leader to be able to hold a cabinet of strong-willed and ambitious people together. Our nation desperately needs a leader, a true leader, who can show the courage to assemble a cabinet of high ability with the propensity for action when necessary, and restraint when warranted. A leader who can unite this country and begin solving the many problems which face us now and in the future. I fear that none of this current crop of candidates have this ability.

Read More

Indiana State Superintendent Recommends Lincoln Books

From today's Indianapolis Star comes the annual list of recommended books from the Indiana Superintendent of Public Education which people might want to consider when purchasing gifts. Dr. Suellen Reed this year has included a separate list of books about Abraham Lincoln since she wants Indiana students to learn as much as possible about him prior to the Lincoln Bicentennial in 2009.

Her list of recommended books may be found here. You'll need Adobe Acrobat to read the pdf file. The list seems to be fairly inclusive and is broken down by grades. I'd suggest that she add David Donald's superb "Lincoln" biography. Another book would be "Twenty Days," the wonderful book by Philip Kundhart and Dorothy Meserve Kundhart which details the Lincoln assassination and each of the funerals. This would seem to be especially important for Indiana students since one of Lincoln's funerals was held in Indianapolis.

Indiana is planning major activities and ceremonies for the Lincoln Bicentennial. Here is a link for the website.

Read More

Abe Lincoln Missing!

A life-sized bronze statue of Abraham Lincoln is missing from Riverside Park in Hartford, Connecticut. The statue shows Lincoln reading and inviting people to sit with him. Lincoln would often "hold forth" with friends and associates during "down time" and read aloud important topics of the day.

I hope the statue is recovered. I'm sure it was expensive and it's obviously a good one. Hopefully, it's not been melted down for scrap.

Read More

Illinois County To Highlight Lincoln's Law Circuit

I came across an article from the Lincoln Courier in Lincoln, Illinois (Logan County) detailing how several people in that county are trying to obtain grant money in order to commemorate Abraham Lincoln's law circuit days. The Lincoln Legacy Trail Committee has been formed and is currently trying to determine the best ways to mark various sites throughout the county which were associated with Lincoln. This group is part of the larger Eighth Judicial Circuit Project, which is trying to thoroughly research, commemorate, and memorialize the circuit which Lincoln rode for many years.

As of now, the group is planning various signs in the different communities in the county. It's also actively seeking volunteers, stories, and ideas from members in the communities. It will be interesting to see what the group decides upon. I hope this paper will show the final signs, etc.

Lincoln rode the old 8th Judicial Circuit twice annually for anywhere from two to three months. He and fellow lawyers and judges would try and hear cases in small communities along the route which could not support full-time lawyers or judges. It was while he was on these extended trips that he developed his keen insight into people and the political subjects of the time.

My post of November 12, 2007 describes a little more about this subject.

Read More

Man Finds Old Newspapers About Lincoln Assassination

Here's a cool little story about a guy from the Boston, Massachusetts area who discovered a bunch of old newspapers stuck in the walls of his old house he's been renovating. At first, no one realized what the papers were, until someone noticed the date and headline. Dated April 15, 1865, the one paper contained the shocking headline that Abraham Lincoln had been shot and was not expected to survive. The other papers were from the days following the assassination.

A leading national dealer in antique and historic newspapers estimates that the paper from April 15 would be valued at approximately $700.00. Newsprint from that era was far more durable than that of today thanks to high rag print content. It's not uncommon for newspapers from the mid-1800's or even much earlier to appear nearly pristine. The papers in the photo appear to mostly intact, meaning that the finder might be able to sell them for a tidy amount of money in order to continue his home improvements.

Not only do I love American History, but I also love antiques. These stories are what motivates me to continue hunting for my treasures. I own a broadside (poster) from my hometown of Canton, Ohio, which announced the tragic news of the death of Lincoln. It's one of my more prized possessions.

Read More

Abraham Lincoln's Own Religion Litmus Test

The Founding Fathers of the United States valued the freedom of one's religious beliefs so highly that they listed it first among all the freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, even ahead of freedom of the press.

Yesterday's speech by Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney in which he vowed to "serve no one religion" brought to mind that Abraham Lincoln faced his own religion litmus test while running for Congress in 1846.

Abraham Lincoln's faith, or lack thereof, has been debated by historians since his death and was a point of contention during his life. Countless books have been written about his religious beliefs, some stating that he was deeply spiritual, while others claim he was a non-believer, nearly an atheist. At the very least, it is true that he never became an official member of any church. However, he did attend services both prior to and after becoming president.

During the Congressional campaign of 1846, Lincoln's opponent was a popular evangelical Methodist preacher of the day, Peter Cartwright. Lincoln decided to attend one of Cartwright's revival meetings after having been accused as being an atheist or "infidel." The following text is taken from Carl Sandberg's "Abraham Lincoln: The Prairie Years":

In due time Cartwright said, "All who desire to lead a new life, to give their hearts to God, and go to heaven, will stand," and a sprinkling of men, women, and children stood up. Then the preacher exhorted, "All who do not wish to go to hell will stand." All stood up—except Lincoln. Then said Cartwright in his gravest voice, "I observe that many responded to the first invitation to give their hearts to God and go to heaven. And I further observe that all of you save one indicated that you did not desire to go to hell. The sole exception is Mr. Lincoln, who did not respond to either invitation. May I inquire of you, Mr. Lincoln, where are you going?"

And Lincoln slowly rose and slowly spoke. "I came here as a respectful listener. I did not know that I was to be singled out by Brother Cartwright. I believe in treating religious matters with due solemnity. I admit that the questions propounded by Brother Cartwright are of great importance. I did not feel called upon to answer as the rest did. Brother Cartwright asks me directly where I am going. I desire to reply with equal directness: I am going to Congress."

The point Lincoln was trying to make to Cartwright was that one's personal beliefs or non-beliefs are just that: personal.

It is disturbing that in the 21st Century, in a country founded on the guiding principle of freedom of religion, that a major presidential candidate has to give a speech defending his religious beliefs in order to cater to a group of people who are intolerant of beliefs which differ from theirs. It is time that candidates for the presidential office remind those citizens that Freedom of Religion means that we Americans are free to choose how we worship, when we worship, or even whether we worship at all.

Read More

George Armstrong Custer Anniversary

Today marks the 168th anniversary of the birth of George Armstrong Custer, the legendary army officer best known for his final battle and death at Little Bighorn.

I realize, of course, that the ties between Custer and Abraham Lincoln are tenuous at best. It is known that Lincoln met Custer's wife, Elizabeth (or Libby), at a reception and exclaimed "So this is the young woman whose husband goes into a charge with a whoop and a shout!" Therefore, Lincoln was obviously aware of the meteoric rise in rank (a temporary Major General at only 23) that Custer experienced in the Civil War. The only other link to Lincoln I can find is that Custer was stationed at Fort Abraham Lincoln as his last post prior to his death. I have my reasons for writing today about Custer, if you will indulge me.

Custer was born on December 5, 1839 in the small village of New Rumley, Ohio. The village is in Harrison County, which was also the home of three men who were highly influential in Lincoln's life. My post of November 13, 2007 tells the story of Matthew Simpson, Edwin Stanton, and John Bingham. What's amazing to me is how four important Civil War era figures could hail from the same rural county.

Custer spent his entire youth living in Harrison County and attended college in the nearby village of Hopedale, Ohio. After a stint as a teacher, he enrolled at West Point, where he finished last in his class.

His career is well-known and his final battle and death are legendary. This link is a good place to read much more about the man. He remains a highly controversial figure of American history to this day.

I mentioned earlier why I wanted to write about Custer today. My departed father was born exactly 100 years later to the day on December 5, 1939 just four miles away from where Custer was born. And he is buried just a couple of miles from the Custer birthplace. My dad was forever fascinated by George Armstrong Custer and was proud to have shared a birthday with him, especially having been born in the same area.

Happy Birthday, Colonel Custer. Happy Birthday, dad. I miss you.

Read More