Abraham Lincoln’s Character

Written by Helena Jackson

Abraham Lincoln’s impeccable character is a source of pride for many Americans, even so far as to colloquially cement him as “Honest Abe.” And sentiments like these were not without founding, with many examples of the sixteenth President of the United States of America exercising and maintaining his virtues.

Honesty

Writing in his notes for a law lecture, Abraham Lincoln one wrote that that one should strive to be “honest in all events.” This bought him much goodwill as a lawyer, with Samuel Parks — one of his fellow attorneys — remarking: “…for a man who was for a quarter of a century both a lawyer and a politician he was the most honest man I ever knew… In politics he never would try to mislead – at the bar when he thought he was wrong he was the weakest lawyer I ever saw.” This aspect of Abraham Lincoln’s character was regarded even outside his career, though. One story claimed that while Lincoln worked as a clerk in Offutt’s store, he mistakenly miscalculated the price of an item, and walked three miles through the night to return the change to the customer.

Empathy

Another famous aspect of Abraham Lincoln was his empathy. The sixteenth president was even kind to cats, recorded as telling two stray kittens “thank God you are cats, and can’t understand this terrible strife that is going on.” When he was appealed to personally in the White House, Helen Nicolay quoted Lincoln saying:“They do not want much and they get very little. Each one considers his business of great importance and I must gratify them.  I know how I would feel in their place.” It is not difficult, then, to understand why he had such an intense objection to slavery. As he said in his Second Inaugural Address: “Both read the same Bible, and pray to the same God; and each invokes His aid against the other… let us judge not that we be not judged.”

Intellect

In his first political announcement, Abraham Lincoln insisted that education was “…the most important subject which we as a people can be engaged in.” Many are surprised to learn that such an intelligent man was largely self-educated. Even though he was a lawyer, he did not attend university, instead educating himself by reading law books and shadowing attorneys. Lincoln was said to have loved to read, and was capable of repeating much of Aesop’s Fables and the Bible. It was clear he valued intelligence and study, and continually tried to better himself.

About Post Author

Pluralist

See author's posts