We like to think that all of our presidents in the United States were really great men and to be sure, just holding the magnificent presidency of the presidency takes a special kind of individuality. One of the most unique and great things about the American government system is the concept of citizen leadership. This is the idea that the average citizen rises to become president for a while and then returns to private life.
But of the few men who have ever held that office, few stand out for their great achievements and leadership in a time that has changed the world forever. And one of these really great presidents was Abraham Lincoln. Perhaps more than any other president, Lincoln had to wage a civil war that was much more than just shouting and calling. This was a conflict that could tear the country apart at the beginning of a split that would lead to more weak independent states instead of the powerful nation we know as America today.
It was Lincoln's leadership, his commitment to values and his strong determination that led the United States to find a way out of that war and to begin a healing process that would eventually restore the nation to unity. Lincoln's ministry from 1860 until his death was one of the greatest challenges. If only he had had the problem of dealing with the southern effort to succeed the union and his ability to keep those nations as part of the American continent, he would have been praised as a very great American.
One of the unknown leadership styles Lincoln used to his advantage in the organization of his presidency was his appointment of nationally talented officials from opposition political parties to be part of his cabinet. Lincoln felt that he needed to have a close adviser to the opposition so that he could not be allowed to run for president of the United States and to take sides. By bringing together “faithful dissenters” in his loyal internal circles, Lincoln was always aware of both sides of the issue that made him a powerful leader.
But that is not his great success or the one we miss him the most. His bold and uncompromising opposition to slavery no doubt played a major role in American history and the history of the country. Determined to put everything in line to put an end to this terrible social sin, Lincoln made a stand, contradicting the popular view of the time in many cases that he would be the one to end slavery.
It was not a stopover that came at no cost. The civil war was one of the bloody and costly in the history of the nation if there was no other cause than the casualties; on both sides were American victims. It may take decades for the damage done by that terrible war to be repaired. The division between north and south continued for decades and is still part of our national identity in this country.
But the result was what Lincoln wanted to be his legacy. By issuing the Emancipation Proclamation to abolish slavery permanently, Lincoln followed suit with the passing of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments that made it possible for freedom to be fought hard and to win the Civil War.
The liberation granted to many black Americans in that war permanently enshrined the memory of Abraham Lincoln as one of our greatest presidents in the hearts and minds of all Americans. Not surprisingly, the iconic monument in Washington's Washington shopping mall is one of the most revered in the country and one of the thousands who flock every year to honor this great president who made freedom and liberty a reality for all Americans, not just a few. And his face on Mount Rushmore is well-suited and therefore the very mountain itself shouts, this is one of the greatest leaders in the history of this great country.
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