[Marxism] Another important 200th birthday: Abraham Lincoln

[Mark Lause]

I wasn't going to be the first to mention this, but thanks to Lueko
for doing so...

While visiting his son his New England early in 1860, Lincoln was
asked about the claims of Democratic politicians that the antislavery
agitation had hurt the region's trade with the South and caused the
great shoe strike that February and March.  This was the largest in
American history to date, with about 17,000 strikers, several thousand
of whom were women.  Lincoln's response was that he knew nothing of
the shoe trade but thanked God for a system in which workers were free
to organize and strike.

Later, when underlings sought to use the government against strikers
in the Navy Yards, a delegation from the labor organizations met
Lincoln in the White House.  Despite the fact that this was a wartime
strike against companies with government contracts, Lincoln clung to
the idea that government had to remain strictly neutral in such
disputes and this remained his position when Federal authorities tried
similar interventions in the course of the war.

A final point was in response to the New York City draft
riots--sparked by Democratic politicians in July 1863 (and invariably
and inaccurately explained in class terms by later scholars), On March
21, 1864, he responded to a letter from the Democratic Republican
Workingmen's Association of New York that "None are so deeply
interested to resist the present rebellion as the working people. Let
them beware of prejudice, working division and hostility among
themselves. The most notable feature of a disturbance in your city
last summer, was the hanging of some working people by other working
people. It should never be so. The strongest bond of human sympathy,
outside of the family relation, should be one uniting all working
people, of all nations, and tongues, and kindreds."

Finally, Grange and farmer activists from Illinois after the war used
to circulate a quote from Lincoln in response to the congratulatory
statement by a constituent that the Civil War was coming to a
victorious end.  "Yes, we may all congratulate ourselves that this
cruel war is nearing to a close.  It has cost a vast amount of
treasure and blood.  The best blood of the flower of American youth
has been freely offered upon our country's altar that the nation might
live.  It has been indeed, a trying hour for the republic; but I see
in the near future, a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes
me to tremble for the safety of my country.  As a result of the war,
corporations have been enthroned, and an era of corruption in high
places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor
to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people
until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands, and the Republic is
destroyed.  I feel at this moment more anxiety for the safety of my
country than ever before, even in the midst of the war.  God grant
that my suspicion may prove groundless."

As a direct quote, it's hogwash and was most likely a mangled
paraphrasing, but the sentiment was pure Lincoln.

ML