"The simple habits of Mr. Lincoln were so well known that it is a subject for surprise that watchful and malignant treason did not sooner take that precious life which he seemed to hold so lightly. He had an almost morbid dislike for an escort, or guard, and daily exposed himself to the deadly aim of an assassin. A cavalry guard was once placed at the gates of the White House for a while, and he said, privately, that he “worried until he got rid of it.” On more than one occasion the writer has gone through the streets of Washington at a late hour of the night with the president, without escort, or even the company of a servant, walking all the way, going and returning.
Considering the many open and secret threats to take his life, it is not surprising that Mr. Lincoln had many thoughts about his coming to a sudden and violent end. He once said that he felt the force of the expression “to take one’s life in his hand,” but that he would not like to face death suddenly. He said that he thought himself a great coward physically, and was sure that he should make a poor soldier, for, unless there was something in the excitement of a battle, he was sure that he would drop his gun and run at the first symptom of danger. That was said sportively, and he added, “Moral cowardice is something which I think I never had.”
- From “Personal Recollections of Abraham Lincoln,” which appeared in the July 1865 issue of Harper’s Magazine. (Reposted in the June 2025 issue)
Just imagining a humble president void of vainglory. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteI'm gonna say it: Despite his murder, Lincoln's instincts were right. Protection madness is slowly turning the White House into a fortress.
ReplyDeleteIn 1999 you could still drive over E St between the ellipse and the White House. Don't remember is PA Ave was also open back then.
But both are closed now with ever increasing security gates, including nervous and generally unpleasant uniformed secret service agents yelling at tourists trying to take a nice picture.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/QzyZcKaVrHvbBvFL9
After the BLM protests, LaFayette Sq was fenced off for months. Since then the fencing around the White House has been made higher and more solid.
The White House it the people's house, not a palace, and certainly not a fortress.
And since 9/11 all over DC, there's increasing security madness everywhere. Good luck trying to walk into the Capital these days. Worst example is the the FBI wants to move away from downtown because they pretty much want a moat around their new digs (yes, yes, also because the Hoover building is too small and falling apart and yes there's a lot of political bullshit happening with that move, but in the end they want a moat).
None of this is by the people, for the people.
This does not have to be the case. In Europe, the general public can see politicians walk from building to building. Sure, some get some protection, but most just go about their business.
In the UK, ministers generally walk from their ministry to Downing St #10.
In France, Brigitte Macron is seen shopping with minimal security.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFktZXgxacX/?hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DL88LHKIRbY/
In Belgium and the Netherlands, politicians also just walk about town. And famously, the former pm now NATO sec gen biked from home to work, even to the King Palace. https://www.google.com/search?&q=rutte+fiets
Again, if part of the population is so hostile to its government, the government should wonder why and fix that. For simple selfish reasons of self-preservation.
I can't find the clip, but there's a hilarious clip of some semi-drunk tourists in Brussels asking a passer-by for directions to Manneke Pis, and do not recognize the Belgian pm giving them directions. Worse, they argue with him because they think it's the other way.
ReplyDeletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manneken_Pis
[In a sign of how bad Google is getting, it recommended a video with Charlie Kirk on one of my search requests. Seriously.]
Manneken PIs would be worthy of a post here someday, but it's a potentially large topic re history, costume etc., so i'll defer for the present.
DeleteManneke Pis is hilarious. You gotta have some sense of humor to have that as your national symbol.
DeleteBut the point of the post was that a bunch of tourists got to interact with the Belgian prime-minister without knowing so. Because he apparently had no security folks with him and was just going about his business is downtown Brussels.
That might work here perhaps with some small state governors, but good luck bumping into Abbott or Newson by chance.
Note: Belgium has 11 million residents, about as much as North Carolina or Ohio.
Wonderful: He said that he thought himself a great coward physically, and was sure that he should make a poor soldier, for, unless there was something in the excitement of a battle, he was sure that he would drop his gun and run at the first symptom of danger. That was said sportively, and he added, “Moral cowardice is something which I think I never had.”
ReplyDeleteI don't think Trump is a moral coward either, but in a different way. To be a coward, leaning on the analogy of war, one would have to know where the battle was and what was being shirked. The field of battle is the apparently absent conscience. Trump can't run from what he fails to perceive. That is, in a perennially amoral state, there can be no moral cowardice.
Awesome post and very timely.
ReplyDelete