By all accounts, President Abraham Lincoln was a Christian man full of mercy and compassion.
Several anecdotes from Lincoln’s life reveal a genuine love for his fellow man, even his enemies, including the ability to forgive and pardon those who personally wronged him.
Edwin Stanton, Lincoln’s Secretary of War, once surmised a lack of discipline within Union troops was due to the soldiers’ knowledge that President Lincoln often pardoned soldiers who deserted the army. In fact, Lincoln would spend the last week of his life granting hundreds of pardons to both Confederates and Union soldiers, sparing many from a death sentence.
But Lincoln could also be tough as steel in his leadership decisions.
For example, word reached President Lincoln that the Confederate States of America had issued orders that any black Union soldier captured in Confederate Territory was to be executed instead of taken as a prisoner.
The Confederate leadership was furious with Lincoln’sproclamation on January 1, 1863, called “The Emancipation Proclamation.” Due to the President’s “emancipating black slaves,” black men flocked to sign up as soldiers within the Union army.
Upon hearing of the CSA’s orders to execute black prisoners of war, President Lincoln issued his July 30, 1863 Order of Retaliation which stated in part:
“The government of the United States will give the same protection to all its soldiers, and if the enemy shall sell or enslave anyone because of his color, the offense shall be punished by retaliation upon the enemy’s prisoners in our possession. It is therefore ordered that for every [Black] soldier of the United States killed in violation of the laws of war, a rebel soldier shall be executed.
It seems to me that principles of justice demand that when people full of grace are faced with the prospect of the weak and defenseless being unjustly harmed, the only appropriate response is an “eye for eye” approach to the abuser.
That kind of tactic is not easy.
It requires both moral discipline and strong leadership.
When people don’t know their leader personally, as was the case with most regarding President Lincoln, they will often base their opinions of the leader on his public writings alone. This would have led to a false impression.
Being misunderstood is one of the costs of leadership. It is also a sign of weak leadership when one is constantly trying to correct false perceptions of himself (or herself).
I consider President Lincoln one of the finest leaders our nation has ever seen.
In 2022, remember that tough measures are often required to stop immoral violations of the Laws of Nature and Nature’s God.
Wade,
My Father told me before Lincoln became President, he saw a slave auction where a husband was sold to one person, and his wife and children were sold to someone else. Lincoln said to himself, “Someday I’ll hit this, and I’ll hit it hard.”
Yes, Rex, your father was correct.
Lincoln did hit it – and hit it hard!
Wade,
My youngest sister lives 200 yards from us. Today, she and her daughter, Elana came by to visit. Many years ago, she asked her ten-year-old son why was it taking so long for him to come down the slide. He yelled back: “Be quiet, I’m praying!”
When Elana (Southern Baptist) was in college, she and a Presbyterian I’ll name X were given an assignment for college credit to visit and report on different church denominations in Arkansas.
After attending a Baptist service, X said they were a wild bunch. Elana told her Baptists weren’t near as wild as their next visit would be in a Pentecostal church.
When they entered, they wanted to sit at the back to observe, but were told all visitors had to sit on the front row. After a while someone told the pastor the TV reported some fighting going on somewhere. The pastor became hysterical and said, “It’s Armageddon. Lock all the doors. No one leaves until everyone’s saved!”
People started marching up and down the aisles. One lady swooned and almost fell on X. Someone said, “Get the snakes!” X wanted to know what snakes meant. Elana told her they believed in handling snakes. X said she was going out a window. Elana followed her.
Not sure what I would have done had I been in President’s position at that time. There is an element of allowing the enemy’s lack of moral judgement to dictate that you lower your own standards.
Would it be acceptable to God to cut off the head of a Taliban terrorist prisoner each time the head of an American soldier was taken?
Not a very simple question to answer.
At what point did Lincoln, in his journey, turn to God?
I am wondering how he went from the harshness of such a proclamation to his words at his second Inaugural Address, these:
“With malice toward none with charity for all with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right let us strive on to finish the work we are in to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan ~ to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”
forty-one days after this speech, Lincoln was assassinated.
‘The Journey’ people go on towards ‘the Light’ changes them, transforms them away from ‘malice’ and ‘contempt for those other sinners’ and the perceived ‘need’ to do evil that good may come of it, yes.
Before Lincoln died, at his second Inaugural, he chose to try to ‘bind up the nation’s wounds’ . . . .
was his ‘journey towards the Light’ heart-felt? I would leave the judgment of Abraham Lincoln to God Who alone knows the secrets of all men’s hearts. 🙂
At what point did Lincoln, in his journey, turn to God?
I am wondering how he went from the harshness of such a proclamation to his words at his second Inaugural Address, these:
“With malice toward none with charity for all with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right let us strive on to finish the work we are in to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan ~ to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”
forty-one days after this speech, Lincoln was assassinated.
‘The Journey’ people go on towards ‘the Light’ changes them, transforms them away from ‘malice’ and ‘contempt for those other sinners’ and the perceived ‘need’ to do evil that good may come of it, yes.
Before Lincoln died, at his second Inaugural, he chose to try to ‘bind up the nation’s wounds’ . . . .
was his ‘journey towards the Light’ heart-felt? I would leave the judgment of Abraham Lincoln to God Who alone knows the secrets of all men’s hearts. 🙂