This week, remember Abraham Lincoln, a president who epitomized selfless dedication and empathy.
On April 14, 1865, Abraham Lincoln was shot, while attending a play at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. He died the next morning, a date that most citizens now know as tax day. With his death, Lincoln immediately became a martyr to the dual causes of restoring the union and emancipating the slaves. Generations of students learned to honor his model of personal honesty and selfless service.
Lincoln was not flawless, and his conduct during the Civil War drew widespread criticism at the time — too slow for some, too revolutionary for others, too magnanimous toward rebels in victory or too insistent on the South’s unconditional surrender. His Cabinet included highly qualified political rivals, whose views often clashed with his own. He was not a saint, but he offers a model for others to emulate, embodying patience, duty, empathy and a commitment to maintaining national unity through reasoned argument and tolerance of criticism both inside and outside the government.
Many presidents have chosen not to follow Lincoln’s lead. They would have done better had they sought lessons from his experience. Lincoln died 160 years ago this week. Surveys of historians and the public consistently rank him as the nation’s greatest president. We should expect our leaders to emulate Lincoln’s qualities today.
Joseph A. Pika
Lewes
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
