I've always been proud to be from "The Land of Lincoln," home state of one of the most beloved US presidents. When I was 10, my father and mother packed us six kids into our station wagon, and we tooled down from the Chicago suburbs to Springfield on an Abraham Lincoln pilgrimage. At Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site, we toured the reconstructed village where Lincoln spent his early adulthood. When my husband and I lived in Pennsylvania, we drove through the battlegrounds at Gettysburg, site of Lincoln's famous address. It's fitting that Barack Obama, our first African-American President, spent so much of his professional life in Illinois and considers it his adopted state.
Though he's well-known for his honesty and integrity, Lincoln was a gifted writer and wordsmith. The book, The Wit and Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln: An A-Z Compendium of Quotes from the Most Eloquent of American Presidents, contains many gems, some profound, some funny. Abe on elections: "The ballot is stronger than the bullet." On slavery: "Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally." On hypocrisy: "During a debate, Stephen Douglas accused Lincoln of being two faced. 'I leave it to you, my friends,' Lincoln retorted, turning toward his audience, 'if I had two faces, would I be wearing this one?'"
Though he's well-known for his honesty and integrity, Lincoln was a gifted writer and wordsmith. The book, The Wit and Wisdom of Abraham Lincoln: An A-Z Compendium of Quotes from the Most Eloquent of American Presidents, contains many gems, some profound, some funny. Abe on elections: "The ballot is stronger than the bullet." On slavery: "Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally." On hypocrisy: "During a debate, Stephen Douglas accused Lincoln of being two faced. 'I leave it to you, my friends,' Lincoln retorted, turning toward his audience, 'if I had two faces, would I be wearing this one?'"
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