Lincoln's Virtues: An Ethical Biography

I bought this book immediately after hearing the author give a talk about Lincoln on our local public radio station. It has been a fascinating reading experience-I read the book cover to cover right away. Now I am slowly re-reading it, with many pauses for thought and reflection on the depth of Lincoln's political and moral genius. The author's premise is that these two talents need not be incompatible, and that Lincoln's life demonstrates that both could be taken to the highest level of accomplishment. The book is not a dull moral treatise, however. It is written with spirit, humanity and humor worthy of its subject.Growing up in Illinois, I was raised on the folksy backwoods cartoonlike interpretation of Lincoln presented by populizers like Carl Sandberg. I knew there must be more to the story, and this book has opened the door to whole a new world of ideas and information about our greatest American president.

Perhaps no figure in American history has been the subject of more mythology, legend and revision than Abraham Lincoln. He has been elevated to the status of Christ-like martyrdom. He has been called a white supremacist and a racist. Revisionists of the right have accused him of fomenting war to promote mercantile interests. His motives and morality have been questioned. His commitment to the anti-slavery cause has been questioned. But who was the real Abraham Lincoln? What were his true thoughts on the great issue of the day? How did the prairie born son of illiterate pioneers become the most revered man in American History?In this wonderful new book, William Lee Miller examines, not so much the events of Lincoln's life as the evolution of the character of the man historian Paul Johnson calls "a kind of moral genius." The book covers the years from Lincoln's birth until his inauguration in 1861. In particular, Miller examines how Lincoln's politics can be squared with his morality. Using Lincoln's own words, Miller effectively refutes the revisionists of both the right and the left and restores Lincoln to his rightful place as an American giant and irrepressible foe of slavery. Miller is an unabashed admirer of Lincoln. Through careful scholarship and relentless logic, the author dissects Lincoln's words and actions, explores his motivations and raises and disposes of revisionist arguments. He does so in an amusing and folksy style that clearly reveals his affection and fascination with this greatest of all Americans. All of the positive traits associated with Lincoln are shown to be true. In speech after speech, Lincoln is revealed to be an intractable foe of slavery. Miller's exploration of Lincoln's character show a living politician to be sure, but a politician who clearly sees the elective process as a path to his moral goals, namely the containment and end of slavery. Lincoln is revealed to be unusually conciliatory and non-vindictive. For example, he placed Edwin Stanton in his cabinet despite Stanton's support for his Southern Democratic opponent and despite the fact that Lincoln was personally humiliated by Stanton years earlier. Not many presidents would do that. It reveals much about Lincoln's character. Miller has no patience for arguments that attack Lincoln's character because he was not a morally pure abolitionist. Miller places Lincoln's pragmatism in its proper context, given the opinions of the electorate Lincoln faced in Illinois and then nationally. He also shows how Lincoln's pragmatic approach was in fact the moral and ethical method to solving as intractable a problem as American slavery. He contrasts Lincoln's pragmatic moral approach with that of Stephen Douglas who Miller contends lacked any morality at all. During the vital six years between 1854 and Lincoln's election as President, Lincoln is shown to have developed a comprehensive and consistent moral perspective on slavery. He thought

William Lee Miller's book underscores Lincoln's general goodness and honesty. This book is less so a traditional biography and more an examination of Lincoln's moral beliefs and principles. The author traces Lincoln's ethical development from a young man in New Salem, Illinois to the mature Lincoln at the height of his intellectual powers in the 1850's and 1860's. Mr. Miller indicates that yes Lincoln was a politician and could be quite good at wheeling and dealing. However, he never engaged in back room negotiations without first taking into account all angles and ramifications, and would never attempt to promote anything totally dishonest. We would describe Lincoln today as a man who was tough but fair. He sought compromise and took into account the possible "fruits" of whatever he was proposing. He was not an absolutist. He realized that the real world was a prism with shades of gray. He was never capricious, as he researched and pondered deeply all his beliefs and subsequent actions. Like any human being he was not perfect and because of his legend it is easy to fall into thinking that he was saint like. He was a truly good-hearted man, who was keenly intelligent and insightful. When our country was at war with itself his steadfastness at the helm and magnaminity he showed towards the Confederates ("with malice toward none") serve as an example of true leadership. His being an American icon is well deserved. Thank you, Mr. President.

Abraham Lincoln was born and raised in America's frontier. As an adult, he was a politician and lawyer in Illinois, the free state that, perhaps, was most tolerant of slavery. Yet, Lincoln went against the grain and firmly made known his belief that the Declaration of Independence applied to Blacks, that they too were included in the statement "all men are created equal." Lincoln has often been villified by two distinct groups. Many on the left have branded him a racist. On the other hand, many who, in their minds, still fight the Civil War on behalf of the Confederacy, accuse him of hypocracy. In reading Miller's book, it is clear they are both wrong. Although Lincoln proposed sending freed slaves to Liberia, there is a reasonable interpretation to his motive other than racism: compassion. In other words, he probably forsaw the ill treatment freed slaves would receive and wanted to see them in a country where they would have full rights and political power. It is important to note that this colonization would have been voluntary: nobody would have been exiled. Also, in arguing against the spread of slaverey, Lincoln made statements that might be regarded as racist, such as disclamers that he thought Blacks should have full political rights. But, then again, if he had taken such a position at his time and place, he would have been branded an extremist. Therefore his arguments against the spread of slavery would have been discredited. In the best sense of the word, Lincoln was a skilled politician and his political tactics were not indicative of racism.Lincoln was far from a perfect human being. He became very well self educated and, therefore, and perhaps, inexcusably, he had no tolerance for his uneducated father. As an adult, he broke off virtually all contact with his father and, in my opinion, broke the commandment to honor his father. But then again, who knows what went on between Lincoln and his father? Maybe there were good reasons for his insensitivity. However, the available evidence seems to be that he was ashamed of his hard working, produtive father, because his father was not interested in improving his mind.This book is not a biography of Lincoln. Rather, it is an analysis of Lincoln's character. Significantly, the book does not cover his presidency. Rather it shows his character development up to his inaugeration. The book provides compelling reading. I would suggest that a standard biography of Lincoln, such as that by Donald or by Oates, be read prior to reading this book.

William Lee Miller's book Lincoln's Virtues: An Ethical Biography proves Abraham Lincoln was a most unique individual an ethical politician. Miller introduces the Lincoln as he lived and breathe and Lincoln lived and breathe politics. Lincoln's practice of politics is familiar to us because it was partisan, compromising as well as searching for consenus and individual distinction. Lincoln the politician seems commmon, it is his ethical quality on the rub of a matter which is outstanding. For Lincoln there was more to poltics than winning elections. There were larger issues of life to be effected by law and politics. Miller points out Lincoln achieved his moral basis from no individual but from the reading of books such as the Bible, Pilgrim's Progress, biographies of Washington and Shakespeare. Miller indicates that in Lincoln's early political career the larger issue was the rise of the common man which Lincoln believed was best achieved by Henry Clay's Whig policies. Post-1854 Lincoln's moral issue was slavery. Lincoln recognized slavery was a moral issue and to present it politcally as a moral issue and not allow it to be presented as an economic issue clouded by the prejudice of the day as Lincoln's great political rival Douglas presented the slavery issue. Miller presents Lincoln's strength of mind and in particular its ability to study and think an issue. His clear judgment balanced by a sincere sensitivity. This was best explained by Leonard Swett in the footnotes on p490 of Miller's book. The best part of the book was the Stanton-Lincoln relationship on pp 410-426. Stanton began with disdain of Linclon but in working with Lincoln in the Civil War Stanton grew to respect Lincoln and be astonished by Lincoln's work. Miller points out the lack of vindictiveness in Lincoln and contrasts that with 20th century American Presidents. The ethical biography of Lincoln shows the gift to the Amercian people the Presidency of Abraham Lincoln was at our most crucial time. This excellent and fresh biography of Lincoln shows he transcended his times and was a product of his times. He was a great man whose example gives us hope that an ethical politician is not and should not be an oxymoron.