Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln was with conviction one of the well familiar and utmost presidents in American history (Monaghan 7). This is verified by his successful management during the Civil War, the formation of policies that promoted everyone in the United States and the efforts that kept the United States from rupture during the Civil War and from its consequences.

From the very beginning Lincoln was used almost as a puppet to win votes and insure victory for his Republican Party members and many Southerners believed that he would be a “front man for more John Browns” (Enduring Vision, 2003).

Such a conservative bill was passed because Lincoln did not want to offend any of the Northern Democrats but at the same time appease the Radicals within the Republican Party who had been demanding emancipation. “With every new northern setback, support for the Radicals' stance grew” (Enduring Vision, 2003). Almost one year after passing the original Confiscation Act a second one stating that all slaves who crossed into Union hands from the Confederacy were freed forever. Lincoln was giving in little by little to keep the masses happy but he was still a little leery about the emancipation of the slaves. He told one reporter, “My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or destroy slavery,” (Enduring Vision, 2003).

After great consideration and discussion with the cabinet Lincoln decided to make a move that would change the war from then on. He made it known to the public that on January 1, 1863 all slaves in the Confederacy would be freed. One minor flaw in this bill was that it only freed the slaves in the South and not in the North. Lincoln did this to ensure that the border states would not separate from the Union as well and join in the fight to hang on to slavery. With the Emancipation Proclamation in tact Lincoln now gained the support of England who was strongly opposed to slavery thus cutting off any southern opportunities for aid from the Brits. The election of 1864 was coming soon and Lincoln's chances of being re-elected were looking grim. The Republicans were clearly divided into two and something had to be done to bring back the supporters of Lincoln.

It was Lincoln's way of leadership that kept all Americans united. The Lincoln story is ever fresh. It springs eternal from the deep current of human tribute that wells up to do homage to man's achievement in the realm of the moral and spiritual. That is why the obscure birth of a boy in a rude frontier log cabin was destined to unfold a chronicle that has become a heritage for the ages. So it is that the massive seated figure enshrined in the white temple in the Nation's Capital looks down silently but movingly upon the pilgrims who come to feel the atmosphere of man's true greatness. This was the man who split rails in frontier clearings ...