An understanding of the Civil War is crucial to fully comprehend American history and to enable us to appreciate Lincoln’s leadership in changing the course of our history. Lincoln became a “war President” and was the only American President whose entire Administration was bounded by the parameters of war–and civil war at that.

President Lincoln did not shrink from exerting his will. He placed his major rivals for the Republican presidential nomination in his Cabinet where he planned to make the important decisions himself. Undoubtedly, every one of the seven in his official family considered himself to be superior to his nominal chief in experience, intellect and capacity to lead. Within days of the firing on Ft. Sumter, April 12, 1861, which began the bloody war, Lincoln enlarged the army without congressional authorization. He spent money for that which Congress had not specifically approved and suspended the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus. He admitted that some of his actions were “without authority of law,” but awaited congressional approval after the fact, because “nothing has been done beyond the constitutional competency of Congress.”

The “war power” flowed into the presidency, as Lincoln viewed it, through the presidential oath to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution.” Commander in Chief Lincoln believed himself to be mainly responsible for the unconditional victory of Union forces. But Lincoln’s strong measures which were instituted without congressional advice or approval, were not intended to be precedents for similar action by modern presidents engaged in wars against foreign nations. On occasion, Lincoln boldly took the position that in order to save the Constitution, he would have to temporarily violate part of it. Harry Truman believed that Lincoln “exercised the powers of the President to meet the emergencies with which he was faced”–largely without limit. But Truman added: “He had the guts to go ahead and do what he thought was the right thing at a time when he had a great big opposition.” While we see Lincoln primarily as a war President, we must not forget that the Lincoln Administration and the Republican Congress were instrumental in the most fundamental changes in the American economy: banking, tariff, land policy and the creation of the land grant universities, positioning the United States to be a great industrial exporting power.

We can see presidential determination in that the restoration of the Union remained his first priority, but the abolition of slavery became an end as well as a means, a war aim virtually inseparable from the Union itself. Lincoln’s first step in making it so was to issue the Emancipation Proclamation, which he pronounced “an act of justice” as well as a military necessity.

Democrats bitterly rejected and loudly opposed Lincoln’s emancipation policy. The war became primarily a Republican war, no longer a bipartisan one. Most Union soldiers accepted Lincoln’s rationale of emancipation and enlistment of blacks as a military measure to end the war. A majority of Union soldiers now saw the anti-war policy of the Democrats as a lack of support for their own war effort, and joined the Republican ranks. By August, 1863, the Union army had recruited more than 50,000 former slaves, and Lincoln wrote that “the emancipation policy, and the use of colored troops, constitute the heaviest blow yet dealt to the rebellion.” In August, 1864, Lincoln was convinced that he would not be reelected, but he decided that any appearance of possibly backing down from his policy of emancipation and the use of blacks in the military “would be worse than losing the presidential contest.”

How could Lincoln accomplish so much in the midst of such violent bloodshed? As a leader, he had remarkable spiritual qualities. His speeches, which he wrote mostly himself, manifest an awareness of God and Divine Providence in the midst of the contest and have become masterpieces of literature. His indifference to wealth, possessions and worldly goods was apparent to all. Lincoln’s personal integrity and kindness toward others, both great and low, was apparent before his election in 1860. As historian Richard Current said: “Never did Lincoln show any hankering for the perquisites or trappings of exalted power. If absolute power corrupts absolutely, he was absolutely safe from corruption.”

Lincoln did not love the people in abstraction. He demonstrated his love, compassion and understanding in the White House, walking to the War Department telegraph office, reviewing troops in the field and even at the theater, whether at Grover’s or Ford’s. He was keenly aware of the importance of the office: “I happen, temporarily, to occupy this White House. I am a living witness that any one of your children may look to come here, . . . to occupy this White House.”

Lincoln was not perfect. He was an eminent lawyer, skillful politician and, at times, a crafty President. He could be impatient and testy. But he was, above all, honorable. He used the patronage system well in making governmental appointments. He appointed people who were generally qualified for the jobs they did, or he had good reasons why they held those positions. He did not extort money or personal favors from his appointees, and he fired those who did.

Lincoln’s personal rectitude and rhetorical leadership inspired those around him. The “Lincoln model” is best seen in his response to a serenade in the early morning after the 1864 presidential election: “I am thankful to God for this approval of the people. But while deeply grateful for this mark of their confidence in me, if I know my heart, my gratitude is free from any taint of personal triumph. I do not impugn the motives of anyone opposed to me. It is no pleasure to me to triumph over any one; but I give thanks to the Almighty for this evidence of the people’s resolution to stand by free government and the rights of humanity.”

On the last day of his life, Lincoln and his wife, Mary, took a carriage drive and talked about their future after the White House. Mrs. Lincoln later said they talked of living in Springfield, Ill., Chicago or California; her husband thought their boys might have a better start in life in California. The next morning, he was dead.

Here is the President against whom our past, present and future chief executives can be measured.

‘The World . . . Can Never Forget What They Did Here’

Today is the 130th anniversary of Lincoln’s tribute to the American soldiers–from both the North and the South–who died at Gettysburg Battlefield in Pennsylvania. A copy of the Gettysburg Address is included in the largest display of Lincoln’s writings ever exhibited, which continues through next August at the Huntington Library in San Marino.