Maggie Thatcher and Abraham Lincoln

[Liz Rosenthal]

I agree that the quote you provide is telling about Lincoln's beliefs regarding labor and the economy.

However, it would be helpful to note the context of this passage, which was part of a political speech. I believe what Lincoln was referring to here as "useless labor" was the labor involved in moving goods long distances, from a place where they were produced to the place where they would be consumed. In particular, this would have been relevant to imports from foreign countries - imports of things that could have been produced here. This would have been a good argument in support of a high tariff, and I believe that that is what Lincoln was talking about here.

Incidentally, I don't think Lincoln really is the best "poster boy" for the Horatio Alger ideal. This is not because he didn't achieve great things or that the U.S. isn't a great place for an ordinary person to rise above humble circumstances and achieve great things. This is because Lincoln was an *extraordinary* man. Few people in history have had his brains and abilities. Few people would have been able to teach themselves as well as he did from boyhood onward; few educated people could have written as well as he did; few lawyers in Illinois were as good as he was when they had the benefit of some law school and/or clerking in a law firm and he had neither; and no one with any advantage of heritage or schooling could have been the president he was.

(04-09-2013 09:25 AM)J. Beckert Wrote:  I think this piece speaks volumes about Lincoln's thoughts on labor and society.

And, inasmuch [as] most good things are produced by labour, it follows that [all] such things of right belong to those whose labour has produced them. But it has so happened in all ages of the world, that some have laboured, and others have, without labour, enjoyed a large proportion of the fruits. This is wrong, and should not continue. To [secure] to each labourer the whole product of his labour, or as nearly as possible, is a most worthy object of any good government. But then the question arises, how can a government best, effect this? In our own country, in it's present condition, will the protective principle advance or retard this object? Upon this subject, the habits of our whole species fall into three great classes – useful labour, useless labour and idleness. Of these the first only is meritorious; and to it all the products of labour rightfully belong; but the two latter, while they exist, are heavy pensioners upon the first, robbing it of a large portion of its just rights. The only remedy for this is to, as far as possible drive useless labour and idleness out of existence. And, first, as to useless labour. Before making war upon this, we must learn to distinguish it from the useful. It appears to me, then, that all labour done directly and incidentally in carrying articles to their place of consumption, which could have been produced in sufficient abundance, with as little labour, at the place of consumption, as at the place they were carried from, is useless labour."12

Perhaps as a young man, Mr. Lincoln had done his share of useless labor to last a lifetime. Mr. Lincoln did what was necessary and he expected others to do the same. His work ethic was fundamental to his attitudes toward slavery. A man had the right to the fruits of his labors – and an obligation to pursue his labors to the best of his ability.