From
“The Human Condition: A User’s Manual,” by Arnold Kunst
27
November
Abraham
Lincoln, Thanksgiver-in-Chief, Second Installment
From
our perspective, everybody knows the North won the Civil War, so what’s the big
deal: slam-dunk, right? Actually, no. For one thing, the vast majority of
America’s military talent sided with the South, following the lead of arguably
the most able field commander in American history, the dazzling Robert E. Lee.
The North, by contrast, was left to build its military talent from the ground
on up, and that was destined to take time. In those early months when the fumbling,
bungling giant known as the North suffered defeat after defeat at the hands of
Lee, Lincoln consistently visited his troops in the field – not merely to
consult with his generals but to shore up his demoralized troops, reminding
them time and again how essential was their work of preserving what he himself
once called “the last, best hope of earth.” I’m sure each visit represented the
need, yet again, to ignite a soggy match.
Let
me say that again: there’s no arguing with “consistency.” Think of it this way: a
husband prepares a cup of coffee for his disgruntled wife; she might then throw
it in his face, but she cannot take away the fact that he prepared it for her
in the first place.
Like
I say, there’s no arguing with “consistency.”
Stay
tuned: third installment tomorrow.
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