Presidents Day Wisdom
Washington and Lincoln have a message for us.
On Presidents Day we principally honor the individuals, both born in February, whom scholars have commonly assessed to be our two greatest presidents: George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
It is always worthwhile to study and take lessons from their lives and thoughts. Today I quote from one of each’s most important speeches. The wisdom contained in these passages is crucial to understanding and navigating our current moment.
From Washington’s Farewell Address, September 17, 1796:
I have already intimated to you the danger of parties in the State, with particular reference to the founding of them on geographical discriminations. Let me now take a more comprehensive view, and warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the spirit of party generally.
This spirit, unfortunately, is inseparable from our nature, having its root in the strongest passions of the human mind. It exists under different shapes in all governments, more or less stifled, controlled, or repressed; but, in those of the popular form, it is seen in its greatest rankness, and is truly their worst enemy.
The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty.
Without looking forward to an extremity of this kind (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight), the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it.
From Lincoln’s Address Before the Young Men's Lyceum of Springfield, Illinois on the topic “The Perpetuation of Our Political Institutions,” January 27, 1838:
[It was the founders’] task (and nobly they performed it) to possess themselves, and through themselves, us, of this goodly land; and to uprear upon its hills and its valleys, a political edifice of liberty and equal rights; 'tis ours only, to transmit these, the former, unprofaned by the foot of an invader; the latter, undecayed by the lapse of time and untorn by usurpation, to the latest generation that fate shall permit the world to know. This task of gratitude to our fathers, justice to ourselves, duty to posterity, and love for our species in general, all imperatively require us faithfully to perform. This task of gratitude to our fathers, justice to ourselves, duty to posterity, and love for our species in general, all imperatively require us faithfully to perform.
How then shall we perform it?--At what point shall we expect the approach of danger? By what means shall we fortify against it?-- Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant, to step the Ocean, and crush us at a blow? Never!--All the armies of Europe, Asia and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth (our own excepted) in their military chest; with a Buonaparte for a commander, could not by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a track on the Blue Ridge, in a trial of a thousand years.
At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.
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Many great and good men sufficiently qualified for any task they should undertake, may ever be found, whose ambition would inspire to nothing beyond a seat in Congress, a gubernatorial or a presidential chair; but such belong not to the family of the lion, or the tribe of the eagle. What! think you these places would satisfy an Alexander, a Caesar, or a Napoleon?--Never! Towering genius distains a beaten path. It seeks regions hitherto unexplored.--It sees no distinction in adding story to story, upon the monuments of fame, erected to the memory of others. It denies that it is glory enough to serve under any chief. It scorns to tread in the footsteps of any predecessor, however illustrious. It thirsts and burns for distinction; and, if possible, it will have it, whether at the expense of emancipating slaves, or enslaving freemen. Is it unreasonable then to expect, that some man possessed of the loftiest genius, coupled with ambition sufficient to push it to its utmost stretch, will at some time, spring up among us? And when such a one does, it will require the people to be united with each other, attached to the government and laws, and generally intelligent, to successfully frustrate his designs.
Several months before his return to private life, President Washington warned of “the baneful effects of the spirit of party.” Over-identification with parties and bitter rivalry that ensues therefrom may “gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual” who will “turn[] this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty.”
Early in his political career, while a member of the Illinois legislature, Lincoln warned against the appearance of a politician of unmoderated ambition. Unsatisfied merely to serve as a congressman, governor or even president, he warned that such a one who “thirsts and burns for distinction” might seek satisfaction through tyranny.
Washington and Lincoln were prescient. The spirit of party has indeed solidified a mass of the electorate behind a person – the 45th president – who (a) sought to overturn the constitutional order of the United States to remain in office, (b) as a private citizen seeking to be reinstalled, agitated for the “termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution,” and (c) joked that were he to win the presidency he would embrace becoming a dictator, but only on “day one.” Perfectly consistent with what Washington said about a partisan “spirit of revenge,” the 45th president receives lusty approval from his supporters for proclaiming “I am your retribution” and promising to persecute his/their political enemies.
Both Washington and Lincoln delivered advice with respect to this challenge.
Here again is Washington: “[T]he common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it.”
And here Lincoln: “And when [an aspiring tyrant arises], it will require the people to be united with each other, attached to the government and laws, and generally intelligent, to successfully frustrate his designs.”
This is the charge to the community of the both decent and sensible: to discourage and restrain the spirit of party and to unite with one another to thwart a tyrant.
Are we up to the task?