What is your best one-word description of President Abraham Lincoln's character?

[David Lockmiller]

(09-30-2023 09:38 AM)Donna McCreary Wrote:  

(09-29-2023 10:04 PM)David Lockmiller Wrote:  

(09-29-2023 09:44 PM)Donna McCreary Wrote:  Tolerant

Why the word "tolerant"?

I can understand the word "intolerant" when it came to the expansion of slavery and the threat of permanent disunion of the states.

Dave, you asked for a word to describe his character.
As a man, I find him to be tolerant.
To achieve a greater good, he was able to tolerate the negative aspects of another person. He was able to tolerate the imperfections of his wife and sons because he loved them. He tolerated Herndon's excessive drinking because of the relationship in the office. In Washington, he tolerated the criticism of members of Congress, statesmen, and the press to achieve his goals. He tolerated the constant meddling, criticism, back-biting, and general ill-will from members of the Todd family because . . . . well, I am not sure why he tolerate all of that, but because he did, Mary and the boys were able to maintain important family relationships.

Good statement, Donna.

But I would disagree regarding his sons, especially Tad and Willie (his love for them was enormous and vice-versa). As for Robert Lincoln, he missed a relationship with him for much of Robert's early life. But Lincoln was able to convince Mary to permit Robert to serve admirably on General Grant's staff and that experience launched Robert into success for the rest of his life.

As for "Herndon's excessive drinking," he did tolerate that and excessive drinking was common at the time (like slavery). But Herndon was a good lawyer and Lincoln had a mutually-good personal relationship with him. I believe that he was also elected to be mayor of Springfield, the capital of the state of Illinois, and therefore was considered by many to be a man of merit.

As for Mary, toleration was mandatory. President Lincoln could only moderate his wife's behavior.

Toleration for the members of Congress was the necessary relationship of politics. The members of Congress are all elected by We the People and each had his vote in Congress on pending legislation Lincoln wanted passed into law. A movie was made about the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment legislation - it was an immense struggle but it ended with the "King's cure" [i.e., a constitutional amendment] ending slavery forever in the United States of America.