Abraham Lincoln “ Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power. ” – Abraham Lincoln. In the Army, we are taught essential values to keep in mind and to live out. The Army Core Values consist of seven terms that make up a soldier: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Self Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage. These seven Army Core values are in every soldier of the United States Army including one of the most widely known U. S. leaders, Abraham Lincoln. In relations to the Seven Army Core Values, Abraham Lincoln expressed great integrity.
All his life, there were incidents and witnesses of his honesty. One of his nicknames given was “ Honest Abe”, going back to his childhood when he was working as a young store clerk. Whenever he realizes he did not give the right amount of change to a customer, he would close the store and deliver the correct amount regardless of how far of a distance to walk. People soon began to recognize his integrity and started asking him to judge and mediate various contests, fights, and arguments. As a member of the Illinois legislation and future practice of law, he began to take advantage of his honesty and fairness to help broaden his people.
Abraham soon moved to Springfield where he began his practice on law. He said to potential lawyers, ” Resolve to be honest at all events; and if in your judgment you cannot be an honest lawyer, resolve to be honest without being a lawyer. Choose some other occupation, rather than one in the choosing of which you do, in advance, consent to be a knave. ” As a quote by Leonard Swett, a close friend of Lincoln, ” He believed in the great laws of truth, the right discharge of duty, his accountability to God, the ultimate triumph of the right, and the overthrow of wrong. The definition of Integrity is a quality one develops by adhering moral principles. Abraham Lincoln was known to be a very loyal and respectful man, which are two other values from the seven he greatly expresses. The following is a part of a farewell speech he presented on February 11, 1861 when he departed from Springfield to Washington to assume the presidency in March. “ My friends—No one, not in my situation, can appreciate my feeling of sadness at this parting. To this place, and the kindness of these people, I owe everything… (Basler, 1953–1955, Vol. IV, p. 190) “…To this place, and the kindness of these people, I owe everything.. ” The line itself shows loyalty, respect, and even trust. Another example of integrity, loyalty, and respect was his historical significance of holding the Union together and leading the North to victory in the Civil war. Respect is treating people as they should be treated. No matter what race, everyone is human. He was strongly anti-slavery; therefore, respected the rights of African Americans.
