Lincoln as secular saint

[L Verge]

I'm bringing this thread from the past back up because the current (summer) issue of The Civil War Monitor magazine has a thought-provoking article by Allen Guelzo on "The Redemption of Abraham Lincoln." The cover quote states 'The last century hasn't been kind to the legacy of the Great Emancipator. Is it time to set the record straight?'

I have only skimmed the article, but its main thesis is that Abraham Lincoln's prestige has fallen very low over the past 50+ years - especially in the role that he played as the Great Emancipator. As civil rights grew in strength, Mr. Lincoln's role diminished. We are all familiar with the controversy stirred up by Lerone Bennett several decades ago, but even Senator Barack Obama was quoted in 2005 as saying, "As an African-American...I cannot swallow whole the view of Lincoln as the Great Emancipator." Guelzo sets out to reestablish Lincoln's legacy when it comes to freedom for the enslaved.