Was Saving the Union Lincoln’s Big Mistake?
America has been blessed with some leaders of great nobility and vision. Washington and Lincoln stand out. Lincoln almost godlike in his depth of character and wisdom. It’s especially remarkable that such a fraught moment in our history brought forth a Lincoln rather than some exploitative demagogue (like you-know-who). Summoning our better angels rather than our demons.
Lincoln’s guiding light was saving the union. He once said that if that entailed ending slavery, he’d do it; if it required keeping slavery, he’d do that. His ...