Who Was that Lincoln Guy?

For all my reading about history, my knowledge of the mid 19th century and Lincoln is woefully inadequate. I was pleased to find an engaging and lengthy review of several Lincoln books dominating a recent issue of The New Republic. Sean Wilentz, a historian I plan to catch up on, wrote Who Was Lincoln?"

It is definitely quite timely, with so many comparing Obama to him. Wilentz looks to be an authority on the mid 1800's though he was also an Obama critic and fan of Hillary. Nonetheless, I found his analysis to be impressive and found myself more engaged than I suspected I would be.

There was a quote that offered some hope for the future. Following the Gettysburg Address, the partisan media was split, those who hated Lincoln attacked him in ways that would make even Fox News blush.... maybe.

Although pro-administration newspapers such as the Springfield Republican in Massachusetts pronounced it "a perfect gem," the Democratic press echoed the Chicago Times's ridicule of Lincoln's shamefully "silly, flat, and dishwatery utterances."

So there you have it, long before the "terrorist fist jab," partisans attacked "dishwatery utterances."