Inside the Mind of President Lincoln

February brings together Black History month and President's Day. And it's easy to combine the two by thinking of one particular president --  Abraham Lincoln. The interest in Lincoln has revived recently, mostly due to a full-length Hollywood biopic featuring renowned actor Daniel Day-Lewis in the title role. Although I haven't seen the movie yet, the reviews appear to be favorable and the awards are starting to come in. It will be interesting to see how the film and its players fare in the upcoming Academy Awards.

To know Lincoln was to know that like many others of his generation, he was a man of letters. Because of his limited formal education, he was apt to seek the advice of others when confronting a situation. In the heat of the Civil War, and only fifteen months after the Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln consulted with three Kentuckians and his review of the proceedings show the personal turmoil which conflicted the president.

Abraham Lincoln, Letter To Hodges, April 4, 1864

In early April of 1864, President Abraham Lincoln summarized, by letter, a conversation which he had with three fellow residents of Kentucky. One of them was Albert Hodges, the editor of the Frankfort Commonwealth. Another, Thomas Bramlette was the Governor, and the third, Archibald Dixon, had previously served as a senator. Bramlette, in particular, was opposed to the recruitment of black regiments in the state of Kentucky.

Abraham Lincoln. Our 16th
President was a conflicted
man who presided over the
most divisive period of
American history

The letter gives great insight into the thoughts of President Lincoln. He initially states, “"I am naturally anti-slavery. If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong. I can not remember when I did not so think, and feel.” In earlier times, Lincoln had proposed non-interference with regard to the issue of slavery, but he realized that the thoughts of many of his constituents had changed. As quoted in his letter, Lincoln writes, "I claim not to have controlled events, but confess plainly that events have controlled me."

For Lincoln, the dilemma came from his ability to serve his oath as the new president, and serve his desire to free the slaves. While he swore to defend the Constitution, he vowed that “life and limb must be protected.” Lincoln added, “By general law life and limb must be protected; yet often a limb must be amputated to save a life; but a life is never wisely given to save a limb. I felt that measures, otherwise unconstitutional, might become lawful, by becoming indispensable to the preservation of the constitution, through the preservation of the nation. Right or wrong, I assumed this ground, and now avow it. I could not feel that, to the best of my ability, I had even tried to preserve the constitution, if, to save slavery, or any minor matter, I should permit the wreck of government, country, and Constitution all together.” Strong words.

The 16^th president was in a pressing situation. The North was fighting against the South in the United States and a division was imminent. But, to Lincoln, the act of slavery was wrong. At the end of his letter, Lincoln wrote that if God removes a great wrong and “wills also that we of the North as well as you of the South, shall pay fairly for our complicity in that wrong, impartial history will find therein new cause to attest and revere the justice and goodness of God."