When I returned to the museum, I thought about that letter from the civil war, written by Pvt. John Henry Owens. I recalled, his mentioning, President Lincoln. He said he would pray for him... I began to wonder, what he was like, this man, Abraham Lincoln. Some have said that Lincoln was the greatest President the United States ever had.

I for one, would agree with that opinion. But what was it that influenced him the most, what made him the man he was. Was it a sensitivity to the needs of society, was it an awareness, in the direction this country was heading? Or maybe it was much more than that.

In the beginning there were people in politics at the time, who did not agree with Lincoln, on many levels. Some even thought that he was not up to the task of leading this nation, and could not imagine him occupying such an important office as the President of the United States.

In time many of these rivals, who criticized Lincoln's ability to do his job, would find themselves changing their minds with the passing of time, as they got to know who this man was.

There were many who learned to respect him for his intellect, his wisdom and his ability to tell stories and to judge people fairly.

There are times when free loving people clash in a heated political environment, giving way to high spirited contradictions of loyalty. Such contradictions make it necessary to find leaders who are strong enough, and intelligent enough, to know the words that will provide clarity to a people yet divided.

To seek an understanding with time, and through experience. Leaders that understood the need, to accept the challenges that lay in the social chaos of the time. To be sensitive to the negative influence of a society, whose way of life was lost in the past, lost in a social structure that was introduced by a country that many were fleeing from.

For slavery was not created in the colonies but evolved through time and influence. It was viewed, not only as a social acceptance, but even more so, as a social necessity to an agrarian way of life.

As with most mores of the time, there were many people who struggled with the morals of slavery.

As these passions grew, they would divide our nation. It is during such times, that deep thought must guide our leaders and give them wisdom to evolve and to show a level of compassion that will motivate people forward. Without the ability to evolve, there can be no progress.

There have been few people in politics who have been able to do that better than President Lincoln. He understood the hardships of the 19th century, and he came to know the necessity of timing in politics.