John Sweeney is a retired journalist who lives near Wilmington.
Schoolkids used to know two February dates by heart. On Feb. 12, they honored Abraham Lincoln on his birthday. On Feb. 22, it was George Washington’s turn.
They were viewed as America’s two greatest presidents. Tales of their struggles, courage and character brightened many midwinter schoolrooms.
No more. Heroes from the past aren’t worth that much any longer.
However, America’s addiction to three-day weekends reigns supreme. George and Abe have been reduced to cartoon figures hawking tires and mattresses for Presidents Day sales.
But it was more than just stories about young Washington chopping down a cherry tree or Honest Abe carrying the mail in his stovepipe hat that got Americans’ attention.
We reflected on George Washington as the man who won the Revolution and then led the creation of our country. Abraham Lincoln was hailed as the man who saved the Union and ended slavery.
Anyone who cared enough could look closely at Washington and Lincoln as real people. They could see their flaws and yet still come away awed at what the two of them accomplished.
Today, we are unforgiving about the people from the past. Face it, those guys don’t share our modern moral perfection. They had obvious flaws and certainly weren’t as smart as us. For some reason, they didn’t know what we know and couldn’t see how their actions would look in 21st-century America. Therefore, we’re free to look down on them as frauds.
Since we are so superior to Washington or Lincoln, there is no need to honor them. Yet we need a reason for that three-day weekend. Our solution was to lump all the presidents together in one big holiday.
We’re kidding ourselves.
When we celebrate Presidents Day, we put the great Abraham Lincoln on the same level as the horrid James Buchanan, not that anybody remembers who he was. A better way to understand the situation is to pick your least favorite recent president. On Monday, we will give him the same salute as Thomas Jefferson, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower or either Roosevelt.
But, to tell the truth, “Presidents Day” doesn’t honor anyone. It is merely another three-day weekend. Americans don’t seem to be in the honoring business anymore.
Yet, if we, as a nation, are serious about restoring some of the country’s ideals, we should take the time to reflect on the characters and accomplishments of Washington and Lincoln.
Washington, despite his flaws, twice turned down opportunities to become a dictator. One time, his Army officers wanted to give him full military powers over the nation. He refused. Then, at the end of his presidency, he walked away. He wasn’t forced out. He accepted the limits to his power. He acknowledged the rule of the people, and he willingly went home to his farm.
That had never been done before. When King George III heard that Washington was giving up power, he scoffed. “If he does that, he will be the greatest man in the world,” the king said.
Lincoln, another man with flaws, showed the importance of character. It took him a long time to come around to the fight against slavery, but when he did, he was all in. He was constantly urged by his own supporters to give up the war, to allow the Confederate states to go away and keep their slaves. But he refused.
He was attacked. He was mocked. And he was finally assassinated for his stand.
Again, despite his flaws and his setbacks, he gave America the courage to right a terrible wrong. We still read his words today, and we are still inspired by him. Consider this: In one year — 1863 — Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation and wrote and delivered the Gettysburg Address. Those two accomplishments alone shroud him in greatness.
Times change. George Washington was the perfect pick for president in 1789. He bestowed his natural dignity on the office. He was aloof and formal, the perfect choice for the closing years of the 18th century.
Washington never would have survived in the political world of 1860 America. Its politics were too democratic, too folksy and too rowdy. Washington, when he was president, wouldn’t shake hands, for fear it was undignified. Making deals in smoke-filled backrooms was beyond him.
Likewise, the rough-hewn Lincoln, with his awkwardness and homespun wit, would have been passed over in the bowing and minuet-dancing world of Washington.
Yet both are known to historians and admirers today, not for their manners but for the mettle of their character.
Which raises a question: Even if we knew them better, would Americans elect them today? Or are three-day weekends more important?
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
