Abraham Lincoln: "Big enough to be inconsistent."

[LincolnMan]

I particularly like the following description of Abraham Lincoln as given in May 1922 by W.E.B. Du Bois. He expresses thoughts that are both positive and negative about Lincoln-yet he was willing to embrace him even so. See what you think:

"Abraham Lincoln was a Southern poor white, of illegitimate birth, poorly educated and unusually ugly, awkward, ill-dressed. He liked smutty stories and was a politician down to his toes. Aristocrats-Jeff Davis, Seward and their ilk-despised him, and indeed he had little outwardly that compelled respect. But in that curious human way he was big inside. He had reserves and depths and when habit and convention were torn away there was something left to Lincoln-nothing to most of his contemners.There was Something left, so that at the crisis he was big enough to be inconsistent-cruel, merciful; peace-loving, a fighter; despising Negros and letting them fight and vote; protecting slavery and freeing slaves. He was a man-a big, inconsistent, brave man."

Mr. Du Bois was one of the NAACP founders in 1910.