13,607 Versus 271...Which Said More?

My favorite president is Abraham Lincoln. There are a number of reasons for this--the Emancipation Proclamation, fearless leadership through America’s darkest hours, Land Grant Colleges, the Transcontinental Railroad and many more. It seems that a lot of his accomplishments are eclipsed by his actions during the Civil War. After all, saving the Union is a pretty major thing. I also like his brevity. 

Four months after the horrors of the Battle of Gettysburg, where there were an estimated 50,000 casualties, and was considered the turning point in the Civil War, a ceremony commemorating the fallen was held. The featured speaker, Edward Everett, spoke for about two hours and his speech was 13,607 words. And this is part of why I love Abraham Lincoln. He gave a 271 word speech that became known as The Gettysburg Address.  

Besides brevity, the thing I like the most about Lincoln is his compassion, empathy, and understanding. There are differing accounts on the specifics of this anecdote, but toward the end of the Civil War, while things were looking good for the Union, a staunch supporter said that all traitors must be hanged and Robert E. Lee, principally among them, needed to be killed. Lincoln’s response was “Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?” 

The Age of the Heart wouldn’t arrive for another seven score and ten years, but Lincoln clearly was way out in front of understanding the skills necessary to succeed: understanding, love, acceptance, empathy, and the need to bring people together.