May 13, 2009

A Word from Zach Wamp

Reflecting on Abraham Lincoln

Congressman Wamp placed the following practical lessons from President Lincoln into a time capsule compiled by the U.S. Capitol Historical Society that will be opened in 50 years:

When I was elected in the 104th Congress and told I was one of only 11,000 people in history to serve in Congress, I was really compelled to try to catch up with a lot of this history. I started reading dozens of books, including, Lincoln, the 600-page biography of President Abraham Lincoln by David Herbert Donald.

In politics, we rarely question each other’s motives, but one of the things that is the most unique about President Lincoln was his motive. Doris Kearns Goodwin wrote extensively that Lincoln was not motivated by fame, power or money, but by impact. He often spoke about how he wanted to use his brief moment in time, his life, to impact others at the very highest potential. It is a worthy public service goal that today may seem trite. To some people, it may even seem political, but it is part of our heritage and our culture and is what has made this country great. Lincoln epitomized that public service commitment and demonstrated it throughout his life, particularly as president during difficult days.

Lincoln’s perseverance is also striking. Most people think of his running and losing, running and losing and the different times he attempted to succeed, but failed, as perseverance. That’s part of who he was, but having read Donald’s biography, I was moved most by the times he had to persevere through extraordinary personal pain. While he was President, his son Willy died and his wife Mary Todd Lincoln went into severe depression. The weight of the whole world was on his shoulders because of the Civil War. Things could not have been worse, yet he persevered at home and for the public like no other has before. Lincoln truly goes down in history as our greatest president through that dedication and perseverance, although he never got to experience the reward of “’attaboy” because he was gone before the pats on the back for saving our great nation really came.

Finally, I am inspired by Lincoln’s faith, which, while it might not be politically correct to talk about today, was very much the foundation of his presidency. When Lincoln arrived at the conclusion that we must emancipate the slaves, he said it was for two reasons: one is the Constitution of the United States of America and the second is Almighty God. Lincoln believed that all men were created equal in the eyes of God and therefore slavery could not stand.

I authored the bill that named “Emancipation Hall" in the Capitol Visitor Center. Between 1800 and 1865, 400 so called “hired negroes” contributed to the construction of the U.S. Capitol. But they were never honored. The Slave Labor Task Force was formed in 2005 to try to find a way to honor them. At the time, I was the Ranking Member of the House Legislative Branch Appropriations Subcommittee trying to finish the Capitol Visitor Center, to keep it on time and on budget. I thought, what better way to honor both the slaves that built the Capitol and the process of liberating all Americans from this burden of slavery than to name the largest public space in the Capitol “Emancipation Hall.”

These are all important elements of Lincoln’s legacy and what we can learn from him today: If you truly want to be great, don’t look for fame or fortune, look for how you can help others and make the highest impact. Don’t expect anything in return, except to help others. Abraham Lincoln is still great today and with his absence in the flesh, I honor his legacy.

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