Lincoln and Stanton: Lessons on grudges

Journey location: Finished Team of Rivals

We've all watched historical tragic movies and hope by some miracle that things will turn out differently. Flight 93 is a great example. No matter how much you hope the passengers will retake the plane from the 9/11 terrorists, you know in the back of your mind, they will come painstakingly close yet their lives will end in tragedy.

That's the feeling I got yesterday while finishing "Team of Rivals."

I never knew the reason Lincoln decided to attend Ford's Theater the night he would be shot was because the National Republican had already reported he would attend. "I supposed it's time to go though I would rather stay. It has been advertised that we will be there and I cannot disappoint the people."

Don't go. 

Hours later, the 16th president would be dead.

The sense of sadness that would engulf his current and former cabinet members was deep. The sadness illustrated one of Lincoln's greatest characteristic: his egoless personality. I was particularly struck by Secretary of War Edwin Stanton's reaction. The book says he was uncontrollable and the mere mention of Lincoln's name would cause him to break down and weep bitterly.

When I read this, I was taken back to their first meeting years before Lincoln would run for president. He had traveled to Ohio to serve as an attorney on a case. Upon seeing Lincoln, Stanton snubbed the future president, telling a law partner, "Why did you bring that ... long armed Ape here...he does not know any thing and can do you no good." With that, the men left Lincoln behind.

Years later, Stanton was unconsolable about Lincoln's death. Stanton learned to love the political genius and kind nature of Lincoln. I don't mention this story just to expand my thoughts on how kind of a person Lincoln was. Up until Lincoln appointed Stanton war secretary, the Civil War was not going well for the Union. Imagine if Lincoln was an ego-driven leader. What if Stanton never took over the War Department? Would the north and the south still be two separate entities 150 years later?

In finishing Team of Rivals, I was a bit sad. It was such a good read that I didn't want it to end. Of course, it was more than that. Lincoln was dead, and tragedy and death would soon reach his friends and cabinet members in many ways.

Still, there's a lesson in the ending for us all. If Lincoln's death brought such grief to so many who once thought of him too simple or even too dumb to be president, it makes you think grudges are quite pointless. Where would we be as Americans today if Lincoln believed in keeping grudges.

More importantly - where would we be if we didn't believe in keeping them in our personal and professional lives?