Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln

Learning To Be A Leader

By : Sarah K. Bolton

Another time a woman bought half a pound of tea. When later he found that he had used wrong scales in measuring the amount, he immediately walked to his customer’s house to give her the tea that he owed her. Such act soon won for Lincoln the nickname “Honest Abe” which he kept all his life.

Lincoln continued to take care of the mill and store, until his employer had series of misfortunes and had to give up business. After a short period of military service and an unsuccessful attempt to enter politics, Lincoln became the country surveyor’s assistant. At this time Abe lived in the homeof friend named Rutledge whose daughter Lincoln later deeply loved. When Ann promised to marry him Abe completely happy.

In the mean time, Lincoln law studies continued. He had been elected to an officer in state government. He borrowed some money in order to buy a new suit of clothes and he made the one hundred miles trip to states capital on foot. But sad days were beginning for Abe. As the summer passed, the health of Ann Rutledge began to fail. At the end of August 1836, she sent for Lincoln in order to say good bye. After her death, Lincoln triied to forget his sorrow by working day and night.

He become a lawyer, sleeping in a narrow sofa in his office because he was still too poor to pay another room. Four years later he married Marry Todd, a girl of good family who had faith and ambition in Lincoln for his future

Lincoln was making steady progress now, in 1864 a very large majority elected him to congress. He was famous as a lawyer, as a political leader and as a speaker against slavery.

About this time something else added to Lincoln fame. A man was killed in camp meeting one night and two young men were arrested for this murder. One was a poor young man named Amstrong whose mother had once helped Lincoln, believing that her son was innocent she wrote to Lincoln, now a famous lawyer and asked his help.     

   

The trial began, on all sides of courtroom people shouted, “Amstrong is guilty, hang him !”. The case depended chiefly upon the testimony of a witness who said that,” in bright moonlight he had seen the prisoner killed the murdered man.” When it was time for Lincoln to speak, however, he carefully showed that there was no moonlight in the night of the murder, so the innocent boy was freed. When the famous lawyer refused to accept any money from the grateful mother, Lincoln’s fame spread.

During the following years, Lincoln was invited to speak in New York City audience and in another town of the east. Everywhere people came in great number to hear him. New york’s principal newspaper remarked, “no man before made such impression on his appear to a New York Audience”.

In 1860 Lincoln became the Republican candidate for the president of the United States. When he received the news, he said quietly,” well gentlemen, there’s a little woman in our house who is probably more interested in this news than i am and if you excuse me, i will take it and let her see it.”

In the Presidential election, after votes were counted, the total for Lincoln was 1.857.610, His opponent, Stephen A.Douglas had received 1.291.547 Lincoln said goodbye to his friends and left for Washington to become the president of U.S.A.

“ I walk slowly, but i never walk backward.”  ---- Abraham Lincoln

Sumber : A.I.E.C