Wow! This is on my “must read list!”
I have long been a sucker for books about Lincoln and his actions as president during America’s most dangerous period. And even though I’ve always felt that he was a man of his time, holding the same prejudices and beliefs as most Americans – he was also a visionary, able to see past the normal biases of his time. Who knows what he could have accomplished in his second term? This book moves beyond Lincoln’s actions to his beliefs.
In his forward, Allen Guelzo, one of our finest historians, takes pains to note that his work is published in another time of great risk to our country – our treasured democracy. I’m fascinated by the title “Our Ancient Faith.” As with most of Guelzo’s books concerning Lincoln, the title is a mirror of a Lincoln quote. Six years before the Civil War, Lincoln’s Peoria Illinois speech in opposition to the Kansas -Nebraska Act states what must be fairly obvious – if slaves are actually people, then there are no economic or social beliefs that could possibly support slavery. “Our Ancient Faith” is democracy itself. Slavery is immoral because people are not animals – and they possess the natural rights of all men.
Please take a look! This is an excellent addition to any library!