The Man Nobody Knows

Like Jesus, Lincoln represents the paragon of great leadership in the book. Barton frequently utilizes anecdotes about President Lincoln to supplement the examples from Jesus’ life of executive principles. President Lincoln’s forbearance when treated with disrespect by General McClellan or Secretary of War Stanton is used to demonstrate how great leaders have “that superiority to personal resentment and small annoyances” (7) because they know that “pettiness brings its own punishment” (7), and they have more important work to do.

Barton uses Lincoln to exemplify “a man of outstanding genius” (15) from obscure origins who is assailed by doubts before his rise: “Inside himself he felt his power, but where and when would his opportunity come? Must he forever ride the country circuit . . . settling a community’s petty disputes?” (15). Lincoln is also compared to Jesus in being often misunderstood by his close associates. In Lincoln’s case, his Cabinet members were scandalized during a meeting in the tense years of the Civil War when the president read from a book by humorist Artemus Ward and laughed aloud. The president explained that laughter was like medicine to ease the strain under which he was laboring.

Lincoln’s representation of democracy, emancipation, and idealism is conveyed by Barton’s reference to his memorable Gettysburg Address, which is cited in the book as an example of concise language. Lincoln’s life was cut short as was the life of Jesus; Barton uses the analogy of Lincoln’s biography if it focused only on the details of his assassination to communicate how the telling of Jesus’ life story has overly emphasized the sad details of his final days, omitting his happier moments.