Lincoln Unbound: How an Ambitious Young Railsplitter Saved the American Dream--and How We Can Do It Again

233 Pages·2013·2.13 MB·English

by  Rich Lowry

Dedication
TO EDWARD D. LOWRY,
MY DEAR FATHER.
Acknowledgments
W
riting a book is a solitary pursuit that is only possible through the kindness
and generosity of others. My wife Vanessa, my friend and my rock, was patient,
encouraging, and willing to lend a hand whenever and wherever necessary. I
started this project when we were engaged, and it was our constant companion
for the first two years of our marriage. She hates clutter, but tolerated the ever-‐
growing stack of Lincoln books in our apartment. She likes relaxing weekends,
but understood when the book took my Saturdays and then my Sundays, too. She
showed more understanding than I could have expected when I was tired and
distracted. Every day she shows me what love means, and for that I am grateful
beyond words.
My assistant, Madison Peace, who is unshakably cheerful and incredibly
diligent, aided in research and a dozen other tasks related to the project. I
couldn’t have finished without her.
My brilliant agent, hilarious friend, and sometime co-author Keith Korman
was willing to do anything to advance the project. He always lent a sympathetic
ear, even when he was telling to me to “Shut up and write.”
Adam Bellow was encouraging when he needed to be and (constructively)
critical when he needed to be, and made the book better for it. He is an
exceptionally talented editor.
Lewis Lehrman is a Lincolnian to the core who has done so much to aid the
study and understanding of our sixteenth president. As far as I’m concerned, the
flaw in David Herbert Donald’s book, We Are Lincoln Men: Abraham Lincoln
and His Friends is that he left out Lew. He was unfailingly generous, always
willing to do a favor, always willing to provide guidance.
I have the privilege of working with some of the smartest and most interesting
people on the planet at National Review. They provided characteristically good-‐
humored support. I’m especially indebted to our publisher, Jack Fowler, who has
the heart of Mother Teresa and the accent of a cop from Bronx Police District
12.
Noah Glyn and Scott Reitmeier provided early research and editorial help, as
did Christeleny Frangos. I am grateful to those who read portions of the draft:
Michael Burlingame, Bradford Short, Charles Kesler, Danilo Petranovich, Yuval
Levin, Scott Winship, Mario Loyola, Charles C. W. Cooke, Adam White, Adam
Keiper, Frederick Hess, and Abby Thernstrom. Of course, any and all errors are
my own.
Joe and Lorraine Palo were generous as always. I appreciate the support of
Nicholas and Noel Vassallo.
My friend Ric Andersen was there when it counted most and I will never
forget it.
I will never be able to repay my mom’s boundless love. My brother Robert is
my friend and my joy.
I dedicate this book to my dad, who passed away when it was nearing
completion. An English professor and history buff, he was a great reader and
lover of books. It is because of him and his library in the basement that I will
always have the best associations with the smell of old, musty books. By his
example, he taught me lifelong lessons in patience and much else. He is missed,
but not gone.
Contents
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Epigraph
INTRODUCTION
·
“An Inestimable Jewel”: Lincoln’s America
CHAPTER 1
·
“An Ambition that Knew No Rest”: Young Man on the Make
CHAPTER 2
·
“The Sober, Industrious, Thriving People”: A Devoted Whig
CHAPTER 3
·
“The True System”: The Genius of American Capitalism
CHAPTER 4
·
“Our Fathers”: The Lincoln-Douglas Debates and the Purpose of America
CHAPTER 5
·
“The Great Empire”: Lincoln’s Vision Realized
CHAPTER 6
·
“Work, Work, Work”: Recovering the Lincoln Ethic
Notes
Index
About the Author
Also by Rich Lowry
Copyright
About the Publisher
Epigraph
“Why if the old Greeks had this man, what trilogies of plays—what epics
would have been made out of him!”
—WALT WHITMAN, “DEATH OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN,” 1879