Several posts ago, I "reviewed" a book entitled "1861".
A fellow (nameless) blogger took exception to a couple of negativisms about Abraham Lincoln. So, I decided to "read up" on "Father Abe" to refresh my memory as to why he was considered our greatest president, or, more purposefully, why I never rated him in my top 5.

Out of a vast selection of biographies, I selected "A.Lincoln" by Ronald C. White, Jr. as my main source (publ. 2009).
The book, by the way, is excellant--about 700 pages, thorougly researched.

Prepare for a lengthy critique of one of Indiana's own (ages 7-21). (By the way, he was once demeaned by being called a "hoosier", meaning, at the time, a hick.) I will say straight out that after reading up on Lincoln, my original opinions, impressions, and rating of him has not changed. The following underscore highlights (or lowlights) of his presidency.

True, Lincoln came from humble beginnings. He was a school dropout, never went to college, and was "self-taught" to become a lawyer (possible in those days). Although his debates with Stephen Douglas were "the talk of the town", he didn't actually win them. In fact, he sounded rather muddled. He was never a good extemporaneous speaker. Over the years, he labored on a written text to best express himself. His "homilies" and witty stories appealed to his audiences. He won a few trials using his metaphors.

With no strong candidates out there, Lincoln was amazingly elected as our president. He had virtually no experience in any domestic or foreign policies. He was an unknown. (In those days, candidates didn't campaign for themselves.)

He went to Washington D.C. as a greenhorn. His cabinet appointees were mostly friends, his loyalty to whom, being a strong character trait, but often overiding his judgment. He was an outsider with no real plan of attack to the problems facing the United States.

In fact, and I quote, "Immediately after the election, Lincoln committed one of his greatest errors of political judgment by failing to grasp the growing agitation over secession spreading across the South". He wrongly believed the secessionists represented only a tiny minority of southern sentiment.

Lincoln opposed the idea of slavery--he consided it wrong. But he wasn't a strict abolitionist. He wanted to abide by the Constitution and the Dred Scott decision which upheld the rights of southern states to maintain slaves. Therefore, he was caught in a bind. His solution was mediation--or so he thought. He was a placater, big time. Don't ruffle the feathers. Consequently, Lincoln had no distinct policy in regards to slavery.

In talking about the subject of race relations, he felt blacks and whites could never live together because of different cultures and intelligence. He talked of "colonization" for blacks in Central America, if they ever were to be emancipated (Aug. 1862).

When Fort Sumter was fired upon as South Carolina seceeded, Lincoln still hesitated to do anything. Basically, the Union had no standing army. They were totally unprepared. Lincoln still thought things could be worked out.
He was ambiguous in his plans. And for the next year and a half, "Father Abe" struggled with what the purpose of the Civil War actually was: to save the Union or to free the slaves? Somehow, he didn't see any connection!

Lincoln's leadership skills were (and still are) questioned. He knew nothing about military operations, trusting decisions to his cabinet and generals--at least in the beginning. He should have fired Gen. McClelland a year earlier than he did. Eventually, he got frustrated with the army's inactivity and became more involved in strategy. The "better late than never' transfer of Gen. Grant to Virginia saved Lincoln's bacon.

Lincoln's strong belief in God was an interesting factor in his ultimate decisions concerning the war and slavery. His early Baptist years growing up soured his "beliefs". He seldom went to church. But once in office, he started going, read the Bible all the time, and became quite the believer. His outlook on life (i.e., the war and the issue of slavery) switched from "fatalism" to providence (God's will). He was constantly seeking answers from God. He even went so far as to call for a "National day of public humiliation, prayer and fasting" (July '63). In Lincoln's second term inauguration address, of the 701 words, God was mentioned 14 times, the Bible quoted four times, prayer invoked three times. (Of the previous 18 presidential addresses, the Bible was mention only once.)

Being a firm believer in the separation of church and state, and in keeping religion out of politics, you might understand why I think Lincoln's address, as well as his many public references to "God's will", is abhorant. Perhaps because of this, our 16th president is considered one of our greatest. And because of this, I don't.

Abraham Lincoln led a tragic life. He lost his mother as a child, lost a sister, two children, several close friends. He was morose, melancholy, moody, despondant. He brooded and agonized over events. I believe his jokes were a coverup. He became a religious fanatic.

In summary, I continue to maintain "Honest Abe" (one good and true virtue) was indecisive, ambiguous, ill-prepared for the job as President of the United States. His "greatness" in America's history is based on two things: He "saved" the Union, and he "freed" the slaves. I put those two words in quotation marks for a purpose.

One more thing. I found a remarkable resemblance in the political environment of today compared to 150 years ago. Few thought (including Lincoln himself) that he would be re-elected. Hmmm.