Remarks as Prepared for Delivery for
The Honorable Dirk Kempthorne, Secretary of the Interior
Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday
February 12, 2007
Americans carry Abraham Lincoln in our hearts.
We carry him in our hearts because Lincoln symbolizes the best of America.
He symbolizes the indomitable American spirit. He grew up in poverty and yet educated himself and became a lawyer by sheer force of will. He rose from humble beginnings to occupy the highest office in the land.
He symbolizes our nation’s ideal of unity expressed in our Constitution that starts with “We the people…” He assumed this office at a time when America was torn apart by Civil War. He arguably had more enemies than any president in history. Yet he never was a divisive man. He dedicated his presidency to reconciling our differences. He knew that a house divided cannot stand and set to work to reunite us.
He symbolizes our ideal that all people are created equal. He valued the lives of all Americans, regardless of the color of their skin, and signed the Emancipation Proclamation to free the slaves, even though he took a great political risk in doing so.
Above all, he was a man of character. Who of us can gaze upon the marble statue in this great memorial and not feel inspired by and his integrity, his courage and his humanity?
It is no wonder that at key moments in our history when Americans have wanted to express their desire for a better future, they have come to the steps of this memorial.
On this 198th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, let us be thankful for his life and for his example. Let us be thankful that we can carry the legacy of such an extraordinary man in our hearts.
God bless Abraham Lincoln and God bless the Union he loved.