November 3, 2003

SOME THOUGHTS FROM LINCOLN ON ELECTION DAY

By James Eugene*

On November 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln delivered, in my opinion, the perfect speech, the Gettysburg Address. As we exercise our democratic rights this week, it is appropriate to reflect upon his thoughts.

Lincoln talks about our founding fathers and the nation they founded "conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that 'all men are created equal.'" Lincoln specifically states that there was a philosophy behind the framework of the founding fathers. He knew that our founding fathers were influenced by Locke, Hobbes, Rousseau, Montesquieu and other great political philosophers. All too often today, our leaders fail to tell us who influenced their lives and what their view of America is. Like the founding fathers, Lincoln had a vision. All too often today, I cannot determine the vision of our leaders.

The Gettysburg Address was written early in our nation's history - a mere 87 years after the Declaration of Independence and only 74 years after the ratification of the Constitution. America was still young. The concepts it was espousing and implementing were still new and curious to the rest of the world. We were struggling to realize the ideals of democracy and the rest of the world wanted to know where the struggle would lead.

In the early 1840's, a French writer, Alexis de Tocqueville, came across the ocean to view this struggling democracy and describe it for the European community. So the Civil War was not only a war between states, it was a battle over American democracy and how it would function. The doubts that some had over the Civil War were greater than slavery and states' rights. They were doubts over the essence of democracy itself.

Lincoln pays tribute to the men who died at Gettysburg. He notes that they died for the American concept of democracy, and that their deaths in defense of freedom were greater than any act that the living could bestow upon them.

Those of us who live in the political world have an obligation to pay tribute to those who have fought and in some cases died or were wounded in defense of our democracy. All too often, our political leaders hide behind others to save their political skins. Is there any reason then to wonder why the public has become skeptical about politics when soldiers risk their lives for democracy and freedom, while our leaders fail to risk a few points in a public opinion poll?

Lincoln understood that that those who fell at Gettysburg gave the ultimate sacrifice, not for gain, but for their country and the principles for which it stands. When our leaders deprive others of their rights in the name of saving democracy, they are forgetting what was done there.

Lincoln now turns from the dead to the living, to our obligation to promote that democracy for which the men at Gettysburg died. But sometimes our devotion is not even present, let alone increased. All too often, our country supports foreign leaders who have no dedication to democracy. If a foreign leader happens to be a despot, we forgive him, as long as he provides us with a resource that we need. We pay lip service to the ideals that Lincoln espoused in the name of simply keeping American democracy safe. In the process, we lessen our devotion to democracy itself and diminish our own respect for it.

Lincoln knew that the nation was in crisis. He knew that it would need healing and he looked forward to the war's end and a "new birth of freedom." Without that freedom, he knew that those who died would have died in vain.

As we fight terrorism, it is important to remember what we are fighting for and not lessen our democracy, not lessen our freedom, lest our fighters die for a principle that no longer will no longer exist in practice. We must not destroy democracy to save it.

In the end, Lincoln sums up the very essence of our democracy: "government of the people, by the people, for the people." Lincoln did not say government for the liberals or for the conservatives, for the rich or for the poor, for the secular or for the religious. He said government for all the people.

Today, we have leaders who play to constituencies who vote for them and purposely neglect those who do not. It is one thing to try to do the greatest good for the greatest number. It is another to purposely discount whole groups. Moreover, our pillars of government too often lately seem to respond only to people who have influence... a betrayal of the Lincoln version of democracy.

In this and every election period, it is appropriate to ask your candidates what will you do for all the people, how do you intend to help all the people, rich and poor, white and of color, liberal and conservative, straight and gay, young and old. Maybe, just maybe, they might stop and think about why they are running (and trust me, too many politicians have no philosophical idea why they are running for something other than it is the next highest office).

Legend has it that Lincoln wrote the Gettysburg address on the back of an envelope on the train ride from Washington, DC to Gettysburg, PA. In fact, this is only partly true. History tells us that Lincoln started writing the speech in the White House (wouldn't it be nice if a President was required to write just one speech for himself during his term) and wrote the remainder on the train on lined paper - not the back of an envelope.

Legend also has it that Lincoln was disappointed in his speech and as he left Gettysburg remarked that no one would ever remember his address. I would love to know what he would have considered a great speech.

* James Eugene is the pseudonym of a veteran of NYC government affairs. Inside The Big Apple will appear exclusively on the Empire Page. If you want to send tips or column ideas to James Eugene, email them to jameseugene@empirepage.com.