Grace Under Fire

"While we must, by all available means, prevent the overthrow of the government, we should avoid planting and cultivating too many thorns in the bosom of society." - Lincoln

Bloodthirsty cries were all around Lincoln as the South sank toward defeat and the North grieved over the loss of its many citizens. He had the power and argument to whip the Southern states with restrictive penalties. Yet still he was gracious in his philosophy. Mistakes were made on the gravest scale to reach this point. He chose to help wounds heal rather than to open more.