The One and Only Abe Lincoln

Much has been made of the current President's alleged connections to the Railsplitter, Abe Lincoln.

In his recent review in the Wall Street Journal of four new books about various facets of Lincoln, John A. Barnes dismisses several of those connections as misunderstood or simply misguided.

From three of the books, Barnes conveys Lincoln's crucial trial experiences prior to his political career, as well as his shrewd choice of secretaries and the management of his Navy admirals, as contributing to his successes as President.

From Barnes' discussion of the books, we are reminded that Lincoln's speeches and debates were framed as a result of his trial work, rather than, as the current President, less messy and gritty legal work. He writes, further, of Lincoln's skill at trial,

"He was a grizzled trial veteran who handled contested wills, railroad tax tangles and even murder cases. The experience taught him, Mr. White argues, an appreciation for the other fellow's point of view. Until the Civil War, Lincoln subscribed to Southern newspapers, and he kept reading them in the White House whenever they became available. He refused to lay the blame for slavery exclusively at the feet of Southerners, saying that Northerners would feel the same about the practice if the two populations changed places."

The book entitled "Lincoln and His Admirals" paints the President as curious about naval technology and a driving force in pushing his naval forces to innovate and master new technologies, such as amphibious campaigns, ironclads and steam power. Barnes notes,

"Lincoln was fascinated by maritime technology and frequently visited the Washington Navy Yard to see the latest weapons and engines."

One doesn't sense any particular curiosity in our sitting President, nevermind his obvious hands-off approach to things that aren't conceptual, political or academic.

Barnes closes his review with this passage,

"For Lincoln, of course, life in Washington during war was almost all work and no play. To read more about him is to realize how few of our current political leaders even begin to approach his level of intelligence, rhetorical skill, natural wit and capacity for empathy. It also reminds us how ridiculous it is make comparisons between Lincoln and anyone today."

Just so. As a native of Lincoln's Illinois, I have no trouble distinguishing the mature, skilled, veteran leader with a young, unaccomplished carpetbagger from the South Side of Chicago.