Lincoln as Protector and Defender (Article 18)
On this anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth (February 12, 1809), it seems an appropriate time for Americans to reflect, at least for a few moments, on his remarkable life. We might consider his rise from abject poverty, his drive to overcome a lack of formal education, his leadership as President to preserve the Union of the States. and/or his commitment to abolish slavery.
In addition to those accomplishments, and his other personal attributes such as honesty and loyalty, some of us are moved, even today, by his compassion and empathy; especially toward those who needed a little help to defend themselves. Reliable examples abound of his willingness to stand up for a principle or offer protection to the defenseless, even at personal risk.
While not all Lincoln anecdotes are historically accurate, scholars have conducted extensive research to clarify which episodes actually occurred. The following examples of Abraham Lincoln as a “Defender and Protector” have, I believe, passed that test.
As a boy, Lincoln was large for his age but his contemporaries said he was a great friend who did not impose his size on them. However, these same childhood friends also said he could not tolerate a larger person taking advantage of someone smaller or even mistreating a helpless animal. Some recalled that he once encountered a group of four or five boys placing hot coals on the back of a turtle and Abe confronted them. One friend said that, “When them boys turned on Abe, he let them know that all of them could likely take him down, but he would find each one later and them boys ran off.”
A few years later Lincoln’s father had decided to move the family’s home and, for part of the trip, they had to travel downriver by flatboat. One morning after pushing off from shore they realized that they had left their small dog on land. Despite his father’s protests, Abe tied the raft to a fallen tree in the river and waded back through icy water to retrieve the pet. His father was furious at the delay but young Abraham said, “The dog feels better and, except for cold feet, so do I.”
As he grew into adulthood, Lincoln was an unusually tall man at 6’4″ but equally remarkable was how strong he was. Many contemporaries told of his athletic ability and strength demonstrated in wrestling matches (which he enjoyed and usually won) and as a rail-splitter who felled trees with a long ax and mallet. But even as an adult, Lincoln was always modest and did not use his physical attributes to intimidate others; however, on occasion he did use his size and strength to step in for those who needed help.
In 1832, when Lincoln was a Captain of a militia unit during the Black Hawk War, an old, weak, and hungry Indian wandered into their encampment. He was seized by several militia members who quickly decided to kill the old man as a spy. The Indian produced a written document from an army official which attested to his honorable service; but the militia men ignored the pass and one shouted, “Let’s make an example out of him!” Lincoln heard the commotion and stepped into the fray and grabbed one of the more belligerent of the men. In a controlled rage, Lincoln simply said, “It must not be done” and moved to stand between the men and the Indian. Lincoln protected his ward until the militia group turned away. He then offered the old man some provisions and escorted him a safe distance.
After his service in the militia, Lincoln pursued a license to practice law and settled into a partnership in Springfield, Illinois, where he also became active in politics. In 1838, the state and national congressional elections were bitterly fought between the Democrats and the Whigs; and Springfield, Illinois was the scene of several chaotic confrontations. One evening a meeting was being held in a courtroom, which was directly under the second floor law offices of Lincoln and Stuart, and the yelling between the parties became very loud. Then, one of the onlookers pointed to the speaker and screamed, “Boys, take him down” and the crowd moved toward the podium. Suddenly, a trap door opened over the speaker and the on-lookers were shocked to first see long legs come through, followed by the rest of the body of an obviously agitated Abraham Lincoln. When Lincoln landed on the platform, he grabbed a large water pitcher and waved it at the crowd, and especially at the person he judged to be the ring-leader. “Hold on men!” he shouted, “Mr. Baker has a right to be heard. No man will take him from this stand if I can prevent it.” The crowd backed down, especially the instigator who happened to be the editor of a local paper, and who was more likely to incite others into rash acts than to participate himself. The incident was a favorite campaign story for years.
Four years later, his defense of another person could have cost him his life! Lincoln was challenged to a duel by James Shields, a local politician, who thought Lincoln had been the one who anonymously wrote a defamatory letter to a local newspaper, attacking Shields by name. But, in fact the letter had been written by Lincoln’s fiancée, Mary Todd; however, Lincoln felt he had to accept the challenge rather than disclose that Mary was the real author. The duel, to be fought with swords, was scheduled for Sept 22 across the Mississippi River in Missouri because dueling in Illinois was illegal. Fortunately on September 21, friends of the two men came up with a compromise which had Lincoln state that the letter was meant as political satire rather than a personal attack, which Shields then accepted as sufficient despite what he considered “only a half apology.” Over time, the truth of Mary’s involvement finally began to emerge in Springfield society, probably because Mary confided in a friend (or two).
While these episodes illustrate that Lincoln was not afraid of personal confrontation, throughout his life he seemed determined to avoid conflict whenever possible. He valued an open dialogue followed by compromise and settlement, rather than intimidation to push a unilateral agenda. But, as one contemporary said, “From the time he was a young boy Lincoln spoke for the less fortunate, whether it was a stronger man against a weaker one or a master against a servant.”
He frequently paraphrased Thomas Jefferson saying, “Differences of opinion in politics or religion should not cause the loss of a friend.” One editor, who was critical of Lincoln’s willingness to hear all sides of an issue, insultingly called him “The Great Compromiser.”
Lincoln’s propensity to reach middle ground with adversaries was most tested after his election in November 1860 as the next President of the United States. Although he would not take office for nearly four months, most Southern political leaders were concerned that Lincoln’s Republican administration would push new laws limiting the expansion of slavery, or might even try to abolish their “peculiar institution.” So, in December 1860, slave states began to secede from the Union.
Of course, the secessionist leaders of the eleven Confederate states would have disagreed that Lincoln sought compromise, as most Southern politicians saw him as unyielding. However, even they were offered olive branches in Lincoln’s speeches, both before and after the 1860 election, and in his first Inaugural Address on March 4. As the new president, he even authorized Democrat Stephen Douglas, his old political foe, to reach out to Southern leaders to help reduce tensions. And, as a last effort to avoid hostilities, he wrote conciliatory letters to the Governors of key states which had seceded. But when the Confederate forces fired on Fort Sumter in South Carolina on April 12, 1861, any hope ended for a peaceful resolution.
Abraham Lincoln did not want the conflict of Civil War, but the Southern leaders soon learned, as others had in prior confrontations when options for compromise were extinguished, that even the “Great Compromiser,” when pushed too far, would become a focused, and formidable, foe.
And, as he had in the past when peaceful negotiations failed, Lincoln was prepared to “protect and defend” something in which he believed; in this case, the very existence of the United States. We should all be very glad he did.
Happy Birthday, Abe!
Gary Alan Dorris: contact the author at gadorris2@gmail.com