Lincoln, Saint or Sinner

[Rob Wick]

In general, this isn't a bad documentary, but there are things which are wrong and which are overemphasized. From a nit-picking point of view, it made it appear that the election of 1858 was a direct election instead of a process that was performed by the legislature. I have to say that I could have done without Lerone Bennett, but with the emphasis that the filmmakers had, Bennett had to appear.

What saved the film was the appearances of David Blight, Eric Foner and Ira Berlin. The part with the Sons of Confederate Veterans was also ridiculous. I love how the man they interviewed talked about how northerners were there to "steal their goods." Those goods were human beings. And to use the term genocide...well, luckily they are a minority.

Also, use of the term deportation is wrong. As Foner pointed out, colonization was voluntary. Also, to call Lincoln a white supremacist is to put a 21st century pejorative term onto a 19th century person. The ideas behind it were prevalent in both the north and the south. There were even abolitionists who did not believe in equality.

Trotting out the Charleston debate comments is always done by those who dislike Lincoln, but what they fail to add is the comment Lincoln made after saying I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races, that I am not nor ever have been in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race.

Lincoln goes on to say

I say upon this occasion I do not perceive that because the white man is to have the superior position the negro should be denied every thing. I do not understand that because I do not want a negro woman for a slave I must necessarily want her for a wife. My understanding is that I can just let her alone. I am now in my fiftieth year, and I certainly never have had a black woman for either a slave or a wife. So it seems to me quite possible for us to get along without making either slaves or wives of negroes. I will add to this that I have never seen, to my knowledge, a man, woman or child who was in favor of producing a perfect equality, social and political, between negroes and white men.

I think the best point came from Blight, when he said that we want our historical characters to be perfect. They aren't. There are things to our modern ears that sound terrible. We would be embarrassed to say them out loud. But I always go back to what Frederick Douglass, who certainly could be critical of Lincoln, said.

Viewed from the genuine abolition ground, Mr. Lincoln seemed tardy, cold, dull, and indifferent; but measuring him by the sentiment of his country, a sentiment he was bound as a statesman to consult, he was swift, zealous, radical, and determined.

Best
Rob