Abraham Lincoln

I just finished reading Carl Sandburg's one volume Abraham Lincoln biography. Sandburg's work was fine. It's not how we would do biography nowadays. Lincoln was very impressive. I decided part-way through to keep a running list of some of his virtues.

• sense of humor
• humility -- including humble origins, being a man of the people, and being able to admit when he was wrong
• he even sometimes took blame that wasn't his
• didn't take things personally
• confident
• had one, chief goal
• was guided by what seemed practicable given the situation
• persistent
• pushed the war despite failures and against contrary special interests
• great communicator -- plain-spoken, logical, connected with his audience, storyteller
• deliberate -- made plans and drafted letters that he didn't always act on or send
• not vengeful -- let bygones be bygone, both big and small
• willing to 'sit on the fence' and not be drawn into vicious partisan politics
• basically had dictatorial powers, but did not abuse them
• ike Washington (and Cincinnatus), he could walk away
• moved slowly on slavery
• built bridges -- for example, with Congress
• curried favor with important influencers, including giving political favors, in pursuit of his one goal

And a few other reflections:

• I can't conceive doing so well as Lincoln, nor even having agreed with all of his policies if I had lived in that time.
• I wonder, though, if maintaining the union justified that terrible war. Could we have got away with no more slavery in new states and territories?
• The sympathizers in England among the cotton industry, etc., were appalling.