Our new president has extolled the virtues of our 16th president, Abraham Lincoln, pointing out that without Lincoln, he, Barack Obama, could never have become president. That may be true in part, but he leaves out a most critical piece of the story. Lincoln was assassinated during a time when the congress and senate were still arguing about what to do after the Civil War ended. There were some in power at the time who wanted to punish the South and not allow them full statehood along with the autonomy that implies, and even some who didn’t think slavery should have been abolished.
It was Lincoln’s successor, Andrew Johnson, who worked to insure that Lincoln’s legacy wasn’t lost in the transition. The congress tired to impeach him over the disagreement about what would happen, but failed to convict by one vote. I think Andrew Johnson is the most undervalued president in our history. It was his effort that kept our country headed in the right directions of unification and freedom for all.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
There is a lot to what you say. Johnson was embattled for his entire Presidency by a distrustful and periodically hostile Congress, yet managed to lay the foundations to re-integrate the Southern states, enfranchise former slaves, and keep America secure from foreign threat and financial ruin after four years of exhausting war -- U.S. Grant took over a reasonably prosperous and very peaceful nation when Johnson stepped down. No small feat.
Let's not forget the sole vote of Senator Ross from Kansas which saved Johnson's presidency in the face of great political pressure.
Post a Comment