Celebrating Lincoln's greatness on the 200th anniversary of his birth

Some would say that challenge and adversity reveal greatness - if greatness exists.

Recently, U.S. Air pilot Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger III landed an engineless plane safely in the Hudson River shortly after takeoff from New York's LaGuardia Airport. Sullenberger was not a household name before the landing, but he certainly is now. Challenge and adversity enabled him to show his greatness.

Abraham Lincoln was arguably our greatest president. The Civil War began about a month after his first inauguration on March 4, 1861. His whole first term was devoted not only to the conduct of the war, but also to the intertwined issues of preserving the Union and abolishing slavery. In the process he defined the concept of equal rights. If Lincoln's presidency had happened at a time of relative calm, would his greatness be recognized?

But we do know about Lincoln's greatness and we have an opportunity to celebrate it this year. Born on Feb. 12, 1809, in Hardin County, Kentucky, Lincoln's family moved to Illinois when he was a young man. Lincoln practiced law in Springfield, Illinois and was elected to the Illinois Legislature in 1834.

His greatness became obvious when Lincoln sought the Republican nomination for president in 1860. Doris Kearns Goodwin's book, "Team of Rivals: the Presidential Genius of Abraham Lincoln" makes much of Lincoln's ability to forge a united path with people of very different but passionate beliefs while keeping their respect. Lincoln set the stage by appointing his three rivals for the nomination, William H. Seward, Salmon P. Chase and Edward Bates, to cabinet posts. Lincoln knew these were the best people and he wanted their help in addressing the nation's significant problems. Anyone who has ever tried to get people to work together knows that accomplishing this feat requires greatness.

Greatness is the ability to say the right thing at the right time with few words, especially if the message is unpopular. I'm thinking of the Emancipation Proclamation, the Gettysburg Address and other Lincoln writings and speeches.

The ability to successfully conduct a war, to live with the death of his children, to persevere with voluble hatred aimed at him personally for his actions - the attributes of Lincoln's greatness are countless.

Let us celebrate Lincoln's birth and hope to learn from his example. Start celebrating by visiting a few Web sites for ideas. The Lincoln Bicentennial Commission at lincoln200.net/index.asp has planned a yearlong series of activities here in Illinois. The Library of Congress has a beautiful Lincoln bicentennial Web site at lincolnbicentennial.gov with quizzes and material for teachers, kids and young adults as well as scholarly information. Or, just put the words "Lincoln" and "bicentennial" in your Web browser for links to many other quality Web sites.

Consider activities you can do yourself or organize in your community. For example, the Illinois Bicentennial Commission is asking children to make birthday cards for Lincoln. There is also the suggestion of reading the Gettysburg Address aloud at 9:30 a.m. central time on Feb. 17, 2009. Visit lincoln200.net/pr120508.pdf for details of activities like these.

In April, a statewide do-it-yourself reading effort based on "Lincoln: A Life of Purpose and Power" by noted Lincoln scholar Richard Carwardine will kick off. There will be supportive materials making this an excellent choice for book clubs or personal reading and reflection.

You can also listen to two of my podcasts. The first is with well-known Lincoln presenter Max Daniels as he speaks to us from early 1865, shortly before Lincoln's untimely death. The second is with my friend Kathryn M. Harris, library services director for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield. Access both podcasts at librarybeat.org.