Wisdom for our time, from Honest Abe’s time
Of the more than 40 presidents to occupy the White House, Abraham Lincoln was the only one whose presence was essential to the nation’s future.* The Great Cataclysm that occurred under his leadership had been building for decades and had become inevitable; had it occurred under those who came before him, or those who came after him, the Union as we know it would not have survived.
With that in mind, I’ve collected some pearls of wisdom from Honest Abe that hold particular relevance for our own times and challenges:
“The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise — with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country.”
“The legitimate object of government, is to do for a community of people, whatever they need to have done, but can not do, at all, or can not, so well do, for themselves — in their separate, and individual capacities.”
“There is no grievance that is a fit object of redress by mob law.”
“I believe it is an established maxim in morals that he who makes an assertion without knowing whether it is true or false, is guilty of falsehood; and the accidental truth of the assertion, does not justify or excuse him.”
“I don’t believe in a law to prevent a man from getting rich; it would do more harm than good. So while we do not propose any war upon capital, we do wish to allow the humblest man an equal chance to get rich with everybody else”
—————————
*And yes, I confess that is artfully worded. We did have one other essential president, George Washington. Like Lincoln, he was uniquely qualified for the time in which he served.
But you see, Washington never lived in the White House.
– Jay Bookman
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553 comments Add your comment
TaxPayer
February 19th, 2013
8:25 am
If Heyward were to wrap himself in that Confederate flag any tighter, he’d choke himself.
Corbin Sharpe. I think, therefore I am...I think.
February 19th, 2013
8:25 am
“Remeber the 600 ship Navy- and Star Wars?”
I definitely remember the 600 ship thing…. when this was announced, I said they would have to bring back the draft to crew all of them. At the time I was stationed on a Destroyer whose standard compliment was 260 Hands. We were operating her and meeting all commitments with 155 hands. Needless to say, we wore a lot of different hats and sleep was a myth, but we did have our pride in our ability to “jury rig” .
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
February 19th, 2013
8:30 am
A moderated post about wine?????
Ok let’s break it up to find the problem.
Chianti is generally a pasta wine.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
February 19th, 2013
8:32 am
I prefer Valpolicella (or Amarone as a treat if I save enough pennies) as a red and Pinot Gris from the Alsace as a white.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
February 19th, 2013
8:34 am
Huh?
The thing that hung up was what I copy/pasted from Thomas?
GT
February 19th, 2013
8:35 am
Lincoln had great vision, I often wonder what vision the south had. There is a toll on a nation that lives immorally even if they have not admitted it or see it as immoral. Lincoln and the north saw this, a mature vision of how we need to conduct ourselves. The reason these states prosper and we in the south don’t is they live by a different code, they don’t justify injustice by misreading the bible. You may think you are fooling someone but at the end of the day honest Abe was right.
Thomas Heyward Jr
February 19th, 2013
8:35 am
JamVet
February 19th, 2013
8:23 am
Heyward would prefer that his and fellow southerners could still keep slaves.
——————————————————————————————-
.
What would a slave such as you know what the verb “prefer” means?
.
You should stick to your Prog talking points.
Keep Up the Good Fight!
February 19th, 2013
8:35 am
Oh noooo Kam is wining.
комиссар (Occupation)
February 19th, 2013
8:37 am
“General Butler was one of the most ruthless and cruel Northern generals.”
Sort of a Yankee Nathan Bedford Forrest, huh.
indigo
February 19th, 2013
8:38 am
Thomas Heyward Jr. -8:35
Why don’t you just say “no, I don’t prefer that we keep slaves”?
The flip answer you did give makes us all wonder.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
February 19th, 2013
8:38 am
Keep
I’m sure that the sun is over the yardarm somewhere.
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
February 19th, 2013
8:39 am
GT:
Uh huh !
“Rust Belt States Losing People, Political Clout”
“The latest census figures show that states in much of the Midwest and Northeast have been overtaken in population growth by the South and West.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/22/rust-belt-states-losing-p_n_800557.html
Corbin Sharpe. I think, therefore I am...I think.
February 19th, 2013
8:40 am
Being a Southerner, I think I have the right to say that the South of the 1860’s had a lot of Chutzpah, thinking that, even though they had no industrial base, no navy, no war material, and no way to get them, that they could win a war with the Union. Yep, Chutzpah…
TaxPayer
February 19th, 2013
8:41 am
The flip answer you did give makes us all wonder.
What’s there to wonder about.
JamVet
February 19th, 2013
8:41 am
Thomas, you White Power boys are a trip. A real bad one with a hundred and fifty year hangover! No wonder you are so paranoid and delusional!
Go put on your sheets and burn Lincoln in effigy.
You’ll feel better.
barking frog
February 19th, 2013
8:42 am
The cotton gin revolutionized the cotton industry but
would not have abolished slavery because it couldn’t
serve drinks on the verandah or service the massuh
in its quarters.
Thomas Heyward Jr
February 19th, 2013
8:43 am
indigo
February 19th, 2013
8:38 am
Thomas Heyward Jr. -8:35
Why don’t you just say “no, I don’t prefer that we keep slaves”?
The flip answer you did give makes us all wonder.
—————————————————————————————–
.
Nor you………………..would understand the NAP.
Non-Agression Pact.
.
Something went wrong at an early age with progs.
.
wonder away.
Decency will prevail.
Thomas Heyward Jr
February 19th, 2013
8:46 am
barking frog
February 19th, 2013
8:42 am
The cotton gin revolutionized the cotton industry but
would not have abolished slavery because it couldn’t
serve drinks on the verandah or service the massuh
in its quarters.
——————————————————————–
.
Yea…………..kinda like what working folks are doing now,
for the bankster’s and their respective congress puppets.
.
lol
barking frog
February 19th, 2013
8:50 am
Thomas Heyward Jr.
Yea…………..kinda like what working folks are doing now,
for the bankster’s and their respective congress puppets
………………………………………………………………………………..
While an undesirable situation, not even close to slavery.
Granny Godzilla
February 19th, 2013
8:55 am
THjr
I loved the part of Roots when Kunta Kinte took his vacation……
Oh and when Kizzie got maternity leave…that was cool too.
Christian Conservative
February 19th, 2013
8:56 am
Jay
“He was certainly respected by every nation as was Bush. Clintoon and the current White House buffoon were laughed at…
Oh yeah. The Iranians sure respected him. He sent them a cake and a Bible! Oh, and the Lebanese! They respected him for turning tail and retreating after hundreds of our Marines were slaughtered in Beirut, and then taking it out on mighty Grenada. And the Israelis were no doubt in awe when they learned that he had been there in person filming the liberation of Nazi concentration camps.
I’m amazed at you Jay. I realize you’re a left wing buffoon but slimming Reagan who fundamentally transformed the US into the super power it is today by his extraordinary leadership. Of course its slowly being chipped away with the current inept leader we now have but Reagan set us on a path to greatness after the Carter debacle. I guess in the 80’s you were part of the dazed and confused crowd who simply did not understand what he did for us.
GT
February 19th, 2013
8:56 am
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801 one of Christy’s problems with New Jersey not getting rescue money which has set this moderate Republican revolt in motion is that state gives a multiple dollar for every dollar received. A rich state of NJ that has been supporting the welfare of the much poorer south in such times as Katrina is denied by the same rogue Republicans that received the charity of New Jersey. Also check the test scores of the rust belt you introduced. Then look at the job we are doing down here because of our lack of resources. Self inflicted suffering is what the south is all about, that manifest itself in immoral behavior.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
February 19th, 2013
8:57 am
Got this from the dead tree edition of the AJC this morning
http://www.berry.edu/eaglecam/
Saw one of the adults earlier, but kinda quiet now.
St Simons - he-ne-ha
February 19th, 2013
8:58 am
Thank goodness for Google. Its Copernicus’ birthday.
The one that 500 yrs ago said ‘No, the earth revolves around the sun.’
Thank goodness for Google.
Our children in Georgia couldn’t learn that in their
suppy-side-jaysus-rode-the-dinosaur-fer-profit skool.
And that knowledge is 500 yrs old.
Way to go, Ga cons. yee-haw.
St Simons - he-ne-ha
February 19th, 2013
9:02 am
wow, and that’s the news from planet kolob…
how’s the weather?
Thomas Heyward Jr
February 19th, 2013
9:04 am
barking frog
February 19th, 2013
8:50 am
Thomas Heyward Jr.
Yea…………..kinda like what working folks are doing now,
for the bankster’s and their respective congress puppets
………………………………………………………………………………..
While an undesirable situation, not even close to slavery.
————————————————————————————————-
.
Yea..whatever dude.
Try telling that to the world’s largest prison population,(at present more than all slaves that ever existed in America) the world’s largest population on probation, the millions of incarcerated defense contractor/workers.
Try telling that to the millions of americans that initially owed the IRS a few thousand bucks but watched in horror as that balance has bloomed into millions of dollars.
Try telling that to a small business that has government thugs storm into their office space and demand that said business owner has GOT to pay a certainwage, has GOT to hire a certain amount of genders and/or sexual preferences.
Try telling that colledge loan debtors.
Try telling that to Private Manning(isolation now for about 5 years) or the other poor souls in Gitmo.
What about the thousands shot down or murdered in the streets by our beloved Police state or the cwomen and children red-misted overseas.?
.
You’re right though………………it’s not even close to slavery.
.
We get to vote for our masters.
.
lol
.
Cheesy Grits is gone but not forgotten
February 19th, 2013
9:05 am
I guess in the 80’s you were part of the dazed and confused crowd who simply did not understand what he did for us.
There are a lot of us in that group.
The myth making on the right of Reagan is incredible.
The truth is he wasn’t a very good President.
Thomas Heyward Jr
February 19th, 2013
9:06 am
Granny Godzilla
February 19th, 2013
8:55 am
THjr
I loved the part of Roots when Kunta Kinte took his vacation……
Oh and when Kizzie got maternity leave…that was cool too.
————————
.
another prog that confuses hoolywood with reality.
.
Dime a dozen.
.
lol
JamVet
February 19th, 2013
9:06 am
Thomas and those like him with their Klan forgiving backgrounds, will NEVER allow themselves to admit that the very cause of the Civil War that they championed was unaspologetic murder, brutality and torture. Of innocent men, women AND children.
And he writes about decency?
Please.
It’s all good. This issue separates the wheat from the chaff and as I have lived in the Deep South for 36 years I can say unequivocally that MOST southerners are the wheat. Great Americans who would never defend that most unrighteous cause – in any way or form. This, in spite of the romanticism given it in films like Gone With the Wind.
That a tiny percentage, like Thomas, do so, is in and of itself, interesting, but in the picture, he and his Whites Only cronies are completely irrelevant.
Other than as modern day curiosities…
Cheesy Grits is gone but not forgotten
February 19th, 2013
9:06 am
Thomas Heyward Jr
Please put on your tin foil hat at this time.
The black helicopters will be with you shortly.
td
February 19th, 2013
9:07 am
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
February 18th, 2013
10:26 pm
td:
“Slavery was on the way out as a viable economic system at the time of the Civil War. The Industrial revolution made it so that low skilled workers could be paid less then the cost of a slave.”
Just now reading a fascinating book entilted “1493″ by Charles C. Mann
In brief:
Indentured servants from Europe were actually cheaper than slaves. So why didn’t we use them instead?
Agree and disagree. At the time, land was money and the normal indentured servant agreement was to give them land after their term was over. In addition, if the indentured servant had a child then the child was free but if a slave had a child then that was another slave that the owner did not have to pay for.
I had never heard of the malaria theory before but it sounds viable.
комиссар (Occupation)
February 19th, 2013
9:09 am
“I realize you’re a left wing buffoon but slimming Reagan who fundamentally transformed the US into the super power it is today by his extraordinary leadership”
Boy, we’re drinking the thick stuff this morning.
“Of course its slowly being chipped away with the current inept leader we now have but Reagan set us on a path to greatness after the Carter debacle”
What do you make of the fact that it was under Reagan that our deficits really started to increase substantially? And what do you make of the fact that it was the Reagan era that kicked off the great divergence between average incomes and the incomes of the top earners, the lords of Wall St., etc., in the share of the pie of productivity that translates to income for the bulk of earners vis-a-vis the very wealthy, a trend that has only accelerated in the present day?
And by the way, on that Lebanon/Grenada episode, You didn’t really address Jay’s point, did you?
I bet you think Reagan single-handedly brought the Soviet Union to its knees, don’t you?
St Simons - he-ne-ha
February 19th, 2013
9:12 am
ground control to major tom….
Corbin Sharpe. I think, therefore I am...I think.
February 19th, 2013
9:12 am
“The truth is he wasn’t a very good President.”
Well, in Ronnie’s defense, he was suffering from dementia. The Presidency was being run by his handlers…
barking frog
February 19th, 2013
9:13 am
Thomas Heyward Jr.
We get to vote for our masters
……………………………………………
The ability to vote against them denies that they are
our masters. Criminals are not forced to commit crimes.
The IRS cannot turn a pittance owed into millions owed.
College students are not forced to take loans.
Businesses are not forced to start uneducated.
War is hell.
Christian Conservative
February 19th, 2013
9:14 am
Cheesy Grits is gone but not forgotten
I guess in the 80’s you were part of the dazed and confused crowd who simply did not understand what he did for us.
There are a lot of us in that group.
The myth making on the right of Reagan is incredible.
The truth is he wasn’t a very good President.
Most people disagree… The illusions of the left about Reagan are laughable considering the new front man for the dem party….
Granny Godzilla
February 19th, 2013
9:14 am
THjr
Confuse hollywood with reality?
Are you suggesting slaves DID get vacation time and maternity leave?
You really are a hoot.
Thomas Heyward Jr
February 19th, 2013
9:15 am
JamVet
February 19th, 2013
9:06 am
Thomas and those like him with their Klan forgiving backgrounds, will NEVER allow themselves to admit that the very cause of the Civil War that they championed was unaspologetic murder, brutality and torture. Of innocent men, women AND children.
And he writes about decency?
Please.
It’s all good. This issue separates the wheat from the chaff and as I have lived in the Deep South for 36 years I can say unequivocally that MOST southerners are the wheat. Great Americans who would never defend that most unrighteous cause – in any way or form. This, in spite of the romanticism given it in films like Gone With the Wind.
That a tiny percentage, like Thomas, do so, is in and of itself, interesting, but in the picture, he and his Whites Only cronies are completely irrelevant.
Other than as modern day curiosities…
————————————————————————–
.
I am immune to your race-baiting.
Most well-raised southern boys realized at an early age that this was the tactic of the immature, crass, and ones without class.
.
Albeit………Its never too late to improve one’s self.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
February 19th, 2013
9:15 am
The Presidency was being run by his handlers…
Or Nancy’s astrologer.
barking frog
February 19th, 2013
9:18 am
Reagan knew where the camera was, at all times.
Christian Conservative
February 19th, 2013
9:18 am
Cheesy Grits is gone but not forgotten:
Reagan won 49 states in his re-election. But he wasn’t a very good President… LOL…
JamVet
February 19th, 2013
9:18 am
OK, the Obama Recovery calls.
I’ll leave you good people to help the sad Thomas come to terms with his “Negro problem”!
My heroes will always be Sojourner Truth and Frederick Douglass and John Brown and Abraham Lincoln and Rosa Parks. And many, many liberals and progressives who stood up to evil.
Gawd only knows who his are, maybe he’ll share a list!
Granny Godzilla
February 19th, 2013
9:18 am
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Heyward_Jr.
indigo
February 19th, 2013
9:20 am
Thomas Hewyard, Jr. – 8:43
That is precisely the answer I was hoping not to hear.
St Simons - he-ne-ha
February 19th, 2013
9:20 am
Reagan was much more liberal than Obama.
Thanks for the approval of our president, cons.
td
February 19th, 2013
9:21 am
JamVet
February 19th, 2013
9:06 am
“Thomas and those like him with their Klan forgiving backgrounds, will NEVER allow themselves to admit that the very cause of the Civil War that they championed was unaspologetic murder, brutality and torture. Of innocent men, women AND children.”
It is you my friend that does not understand because you are looking at the issue from a 21st century mindset instead of a 18th or 19th century mindset prior to the “Great awakening” movement. If you go back and read history you will find that people did what was in their own best interest to survive. Example: Look at what happened in the Bible when the Israelites came back and conquered Israel. They came to a city and killed every man, woman and child of that city. We would think that was genocide if we were thinking in the terms of today but it was to ensure the survival of a people in those days and was an acceptable practice.
Granny Godzilla
February 19th, 2013
9:21 am
THjr has gone all Hilly Holbrook “decency” on us.
What a hoot.
Care for some pie?
Cheesy Grits is gone but not forgotten
February 19th, 2013
9:22 am
Most people disagree…
No they dont.
Keep Up the Good Fight!
February 19th, 2013
9:23 am
Reagan won 49 states in his re-election. But he wasn’t a very good President… LOL…
Well if we go by just winning elections, then I guess Obama is a very good President. CC is needs to have a talk to CC about why he keeps claiming otherwise.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
February 19th, 2013
9:26 am
Did I mention SONS OF CONFEDERATE VETERANS! ?
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
February 19th, 2013
9:29 am
Sequester SHEETZ!
TaxPayer
February 19th, 2013
9:29 am
Poor Heyward. Every time he tries to flee the oppresive USofA, his chains keep pulling him back. If only he had the key.
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
February 19th, 2013
10:54 am
GT:
Do you live here?
Migrate north !!!!