American Presidents

On Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln

GEORGE WASHINGTON

George Washington was the father of the American nation. He was the son of peace and the brother of self-giving. O Father of America, Father, indeed, in body, vital, mind and heart; Father in action, Father in realisation.

George Washington, you and you alone were America's supreme need and divine choice to lead your country to victory!  You offered your country the smile of victory's freedom-dawn. Victory's sun shone on the life and soul of America. And that sun blessed you, embraced you and treasured you.

I salute the indomitable spirit of the General in you. I bow to the peerless wisdom of the President in you. I take endless pride in the Father of the Nation in you. You have always been a true lover of peace. You have always valued peace infinitely more than anything else. Your country needed you to fight for her. Your country needed you to liberate her from bondage-night. You surrendered your own will to your country's will. Under your supreme leadership your country won the war. Then your country needed you desperately to build an undivided nation. Your country needed your guidance inimitable. You were the first and last president to be everybody's choice. Many succeeded you, but you, with your lofty ideals, are the pole star. You were their pole star.

High character and majestic will
Powerfully blended with courage and capacity:
Thus stood forth the Man of the Hour,
The Man of Destiny, the Man of God.
And from his mighty dream mightily executed
Burst forth a new free world,
Destined to be the hope and defence
Of more free worlds to be.

THOMAS JEFFERSON

For your extraordinary service to your country,
you would have been known as a great man.
But for your offering of your independence-declaration,
you are known as a good man, a God-messenger, a Vision-son of God.

The essential qualities of Thomas Jefferson were clarity, luminosity and vastness. Jefferson was the most divinely talented man of his time. He covered quite a few fields in every walk of life, and he went a considerable distance in each. In his case mind, body, vital, heart, everything went together. This moment he was a musician, this moment he was a sculptor, this moment he was a man of brain, this moment he was a physical, earthly labourer. God gave him capacities in many walks of life and he used them well.  To become the happiest man is the most difficult thing on earth, and that he was.

Light and Liberty  edited by Eric S. Petersen, contains thirty-four essays culled from over 20,000 letters, reports, speeches and state papers written by Jefferson that inspire us to this day.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

Born under no lucky star,
But dynamic in his dreams,
He fought his way to Luck:
"From log cabin to White House."

No soul on earth supreme over another;
Equality every man's birthright and treasure;
Black and white, brown and red
Make no difference;
This nation cannot exist half-slave, half-free:
From his voice these bold truths rang out.

He had the gift to dream of union,
The courage and capacity to fight,
The confidence to win,
The patience that knew no flagging.

Faith in God's Justice was his stamina,
Faith in God was his might.

What is really important?
Are we God's or is God ours?
The idealist in Lincoln reveals:
"We trust, Sir, that God is on our side.
It is more important to know
That we are on God's side."