Lincoln Behind The Myths - Silence While President-Elect

Back in January of this year, I wrote a post about a new series of articles about Abraham Lincoln coming from American History magazine in this, the bicentennial year of his birth. Six articles will be published in the magazine this year in an attempt to get to know the "real" Lincoln and lift the veil of mythology which has obscured him from us since his death. These articles are written by Dr. H.W. Brands, author of 16 books and a professor at the University of Texas.

The first post I wrote explored Lincoln's famous "House Divided" speech of 1858, through which he burst onto the national stage when he claimed that our nation could no longer exist half-free and half-slave.

The March/April 2009 issue of American History contains the second article in this series. In this article, titled "Lincoln's Winter Of Silence," Dr. Brands examines Lincoln's role that he played (or didn't play) in the country after his election as President, but prior to his inauguration. Known as the "Great Secession Winter Of 1860-1861," that four-month period can arguably be called the most tumultuous time in our nation's history.

In those days in American presidential politics, the president-elect didn't take the oath of office until March 4 of the following year. As Brands points out, the nation's founders didn't foresee that such a long period between transitioning from a lame-duck president to the newly-elected president could allow events in the country to spiral so quickly out of control.

Indeed, Lincoln's very election caused a rapid succession of southern states to secede from the Union. South Carolina was first, followed quickly by six other states. By the time Lincoln stood on his inaugural platform on March 4, 1861 the states of Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas no longer remained in the Union. Four more states (Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia) would follow shortly thereafter.

When Lincoln was elected to his first term though, none of the states had yet seceded. At first, no one, including Lincoln, really knew for sure if secession would occur. Some felt that the movement to secede was being pushed by a vocal minority instead of by popular opinion. Everyone was unsure how the North would feel if the states did secede. Would it just want the trouble-makers to go away and leave well enough alone? And would any effort really avert civil war? Should Lincoln reach out to southern moderates or not? All monumental questions to say the least.

Dr. Brands points out that at first, Lincoln did nothing as president-elect in the hope that the issues would be resolved. When that didn't work, Lincoln moved to action behind the scenes, writing letters and speaking quietly to others, not wishing to further inflame the secession movement.

For decades, the majority of historians have slammed Lincoln for his perceived inactions and lack of public statements or speeches while the nation was tearing itself asunder. Even the recently deceased David Herbert Donald considered Lincoln to be weak and indecisive in the "Secession Winter." Dr. Brands seems to include himself in this assessment, writing in the article that "Only at his inauguration did he (Lincoln) muster the will to speak boldly and attack the secessionists head on."

Lincoln scholar Harold Holzer begs to differ. In his recent book, "Lincoln President-Elect," Mr. Holzer makes the case for Lincoln having shown shrewdness, strong-mindedness, and strong principles in his actions in dealing with the crisis as president-elect. I have not yet read this book, but historians such as James McPherson, David Herbert Donald, Doris Kearns Goodwin, and Michael Beschloss have highly praised it as ground-breaking. Ms. Goodwin claims it will take its place in the Lincoln canon.

I don't personally know much about this time in Lincoln's political career, so I can offer no analysis for the reader. I will point out, however, that this era in presidential politics was very different than that of today. It was considered "unseemly" for a candidate to even openly campaign for the highest office in the land, let alone offer public policy pronouncements as our most recent president-elect did this past winter. Criticizing Lincoln too harshly for his lack of public statements during that four-month period overlooks that point in my opinion.

I look forward to reading Holzer's book, as I look forward to reading the next article in Dr. Brands' "Lincoln Chronicles."

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Book Review: "What Would Lincoln Do?"

Countless books have been written about Abraham Lincoln over the past 150 years, from children's books, to books about his jokes and stories, and of course serious biographies. A book out this year might just be one of the more unique Lincoln books ever written.

"What Would Lincoln Do?" by David Acord, is not a biography nor even a reference book about Lincoln. Instead, it's a self-help or book of advice with that advice coming to the reader from none other than Abraham Lincoln. As the back cover of the dust jacket reads: "How much easier would it be to tackle your everyday problems if you could have Lincoln advising you?" Mr. Accord is not a trained historian. He is a professional editor and journalist, who happens to also be a Lincoln buff.

Through the writings of Lincoln (from letters and speeches), Mr. Acord shows by Lincoln's example how we can deal with difficult co-workers, handle unpleasant situations, inspire people around us, and even how to say no to someone who asks us to borrow money.

The book is organized into two parts: personal interactions and the professional environment. Each part has various chapters, such as responding to rumors, giving advice to a close relative, encouraging and consoling others, and perhaps most difficult of all, admitting when we've made a mistake. The chapters each begin with an example of a speech or letter written by Lincoln. Then Mr. Acord examines the letter and points out how we can use Lincoln's example to help us in our own situation. Acord is careful to give the date of the writing being used in the example and gives context when necessary.

"What Would Lincoln Do?" makes for interesting and, at times, even intriguing reading. Unlike most books of its genre, this advice book doesn't get burdened by psycho-babble and pontificating by the author. At 166 pages, it's long enough to be of substance, yet brief enough to hold the reader's interest.

I was impressed by the writing style of the book. I checked some of the dates provided in the examples of Lincoln's writings and was happy to see that they are accurate. A minor nitpick is that Acord might have included a few words about the source(s) he used for the Lincoln writings. That would have been helpful to any reader who would like to read more about what Lincoln wrote.

After I finished "What Would Lincoln Do?", I had an even better appreciation for the wisdom and maturity that Lincoln showed in dealing with difficult situations. Acord does a very commendable job of explaining Lincoln's motives, reactions, and words. I was skeptical as to whether or not I'd enjoy this book. I typically don't like books of this type. But I found it to be so interesting (and helpful) that I read it in just one evening. I can and will recommend this book to others.

Disclaimer: I was contacted directly by the author, David Acord, who inquired of my interest in the book and willingness to blog about it. I received a copy of the book for my review, but have in no way been otherwise compensated. I am not related to the author, nor am I associated with the publisher. You may purchase a copy of the book here.

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Remembering David Herbert Donald

The community of Lincoln scholars has lost a titan. The news that David Herbert Donald passed away Sunday (May 17, 2009) at the age of 88 saddens all of us Lincoln buffs, whether we are professionals or amateurs in our pursuit of all things related to Abraham Lincoln.

Dr. Donald was, of course, the author of "Lincoln" (1995), arguably the best single-volume biography on the man. The book was praised by many for its balance between the "hero worship" found in many other works about Lincoln and the blatant attacks on Lincoln found in books written by revisionist historians. Donald strove to present a balanced history of Lincoln in his biography, and succeeded brilliantly. He was also the author of other Lincoln books, including "Lincoln's Herndon" (a study of Lincoln's law partner William Herndon) and "We Are Lincoln Men: Abraham Lincoln And His Friends".

Donald was a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize for biography, but surprisingly not for his "Lincoln" biography. In 1960, he won for "Charles Sumner And The Coming Of The Civil War", about the senator from Massachusetts who was a noted abolitionist and Radical Republican. Donald won his second Pulitzer in 1988 for a biography on the writer Thomas Wolfe.

He was a long time professor at Harvard University, and also served in that capacity at Princeton and Johns Hopkins universities.

Rest in peace, Dr. Donald, and thank you for educating the rest of us so well.

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Life Happens

My apologies for the lack of posting in recent weeks. I've been taking care of my mom, who was hospitalized for a week and then had a flare-up of her Multiple Sclerosis as a result of being weakened. Since I'm an only child and my dad is deceased, the only person available for her grocery shopping, doctor appointments, and outpatient treatments is me. This has been going on since March 31.

Fortunately, she's a lot better now, which is the most important thing. I can also begin to ease back into my own life, which means that I'll be able to resume fairly frequent postings here on the blog.

Thanks for your patience and continued support.

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Book Review: "The Words Of Abraham Lincoln"

This year has already seen the publication of numerous books about Abraham Lincoln, from children's books to the massive two-volume biography by Michael Burlingame. One of those books is a brief, but informative, book titled "The Words Of Abraham Lincoln" from Newmarket Press, released this month.

As you might guess, the book contains Lincoln's own words, from little known letters to friends, family, and generals, to his majestic Gettysburg Address and inaugural addresses. It includes excerpts from his 1860 address at the Cooper Union in New York City and text from his final public speech just days before his death.

I like how the editor of the book (Larry Shapiro, former editor-in-chief of the Book Of The Month Club and editorial director of the History Book Club) arranged these selections of Lincoln's writings thematically, rather than chronologically. For example, there is a chapter about Lincoln's letters to his generals, another featuring Lincoln's writings on slavery, still another contains letters written to his family. This arrangement helps the reader access Lincoln more readily than the traditional chronological arrangement of most books containing Lincoln's writings.

Mr. Shapiro also provides brief but helpful introductions or notes to the selected writings. This allows the reader to understand the letters and speeches in the proper context. There are reprints of the most famous Lincoln photos at the beginning of each chapter. I especially was pleased to find a chronology of important events in Lincoln's life as an appendix to the book.

Copyright restrictions preclude me from including any text of the book in this review. I wish that wasn't the case, because some of the more obscure letters which Lincoln wrote can be very powerful and moving.

To be sure, "The Words Of Abraham Lincoln" lacks the completeness of larger works dedicated to the writings of Lincoln. But that's not the point of this book. In just 113 pages, the editor has chosen a wide range of writings which, I think, gets to the essence of Abraham Lincoln. It is an excellent introduction for those individuals who wish to learn more about the nation's 16th President, who also happened to be a brilliant writer of the English language. I recommend it.

Disclaimer: Newmarket Press provided me with an advance copy of this book. I am in no way otherwise affiliated with the company, nor have I been compensated financially for this review. You may purchase a copy of this book here in both hardcover and softcover.

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Preserving A Piece Of Lincoln Family History

From today's edition of the Daily News-Record (Harrison, VA) comes this story about efforts underway to preserve a piece of Abraham Lincoln's family history. The Lincoln Society of Virginia entered an option last week to purchase almost ten acres of Lincoln's family homestead site which includes an antebellum house and a family cemetery. The goal of the Society is to restore the house and open a museum to honor Lincoln and to remember his Virginia family roots.

Abraham Lincoln's great-grandfather, John Lincoln, set up the original 600 acre homestead in 1768, according to the Society. John's son, also named Abraham, was President Lincoln's grandfather, who later relocated to Kentucky. Other branches of the Lincoln family continued living on this estate. The home pictured here was built around 1800 by Jacob Lincoln, brother to President Lincoln's grandfather Abraham. It is considered to be a "Shenandoah Valley Federal-Style" brick home, with later additions.

The Lincoln Society of Virginia was founded just five years ago in 2004 with the goals of promoting the Lincoln family legacy in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, to help protect the Lincoln Family cemetery, and to of course disseminate information about President Lincoln. It now faces the steep task of raising over $450,000 in order to purchase the home and ten acres of land from the current owner. It has two years to reach the target.

I've included another photo of the house below, which shows the current state of disrepair. Plans are in place to restore the home to its former glory once the fundraising goals are met. The second photo below is a snapshot of the ancestral Lincoln cemetery.

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Should Pennsylvania Museum Permit Testing Of Lincoln's Blood or DNA?

Today's issue of the Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper contains this article about an interesting dilemma facing a small museum in that city. The Grand Army Of The Republic (GAR) Museum and Library owns a small strip of the pillowcase which supported Lincoln's head as he lay dying in the Petersen House in Washington, D.C. The piece of fabric contains Lincoln's DNA in the form of dried blood and brain matter. Now a researcher has asked to borrow this strip so he can test the DNA in order to see if Lincoln had a rare form of cancer.

Mr. John Sotos, a cardiologist and author, wants to test the strip so he can confirm his belief that Lincoln had a rare genetic syndrome called multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2B (MEN2B). Sotos has carefully studied all 130 known images of Lincoln and combined with eyewitness accounts of Lincoln, believes Lincoln would have died eventually from cancer. But he needs to test the DNA on the fabric to confirm it. The article goes on to describe more fully how Sotos and a diagnostician have reached this belief. I wrote about Sotos and his belief previously in this posting.

The dilemma for the museum, of course, is should it grant Sotos' request and risk damaging this artifact from the assassination? Or should it refuse to loan him the strip of fabric in order to assure its preservation, not to mention honoring Robert Todd Lincoln's request to let his father rest in peace?

The museum board is going to discuss the issue at its next board meeting, probably on May 5th. It's retained a biologist to advise it. The president of the board of directors of the museum is against lending it, even if just two or three strands are required for the test. But he would vote only if the other directors split their votes.

My own opinion, for what it's worth? I would strongly encourage the GAR Museum board of directors to NOT lend this priceless artifact for this testing. I realize it's important to understand as much as we can about historical figures, but what's the purpose of knowing if Lincoln did or did not have this syndrome? We know he most certainly did not die from such a disease. He has no living direct descendants who would benefit from knowing if they were carriers of MEN2B. Finally, I'm forced to wonder if the descendants of Abraham Enloe are behind this push for testing, since they claim that Enloe was the true father of Abraham Lincoln. The Inquirer article mentions their longtime claim.

The bottom line is that history's interest in preserving this assassination relic outweighs the question about Lincoln's genetic status at the time of his death. I hope the board of directors will vote to retain the fabric as is and preserve it for everyone to enjoy.

The article contains more images of the fabric, including a close-up. Be sure to take a look.

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