A Good Trip

Two days is not nearly enough to see all there is to see in Springfield. We hit the Lincoln Museum, the Old State Capitol, and Lincoln's Tomb on Saturday. All of the were very cool. We wanted to go to the Korean War Museum too, but it was just to hot, and we quite frankly ran out of time.

On Sunday we went to Lincoln's New Salem, a reconstructed 1830's era village where Lincoln actually lived for a few years. All of the structures were correct for the period, but were built in the 1930's by the CCC. 

It was amazing to see how people lived in those days. My sons are too young to get it. I tried to explain that families larger than ours would have all lived in that one room. They ate there, slept there, studied there. No bathroom. No shower. No stove. And they were probably happier and more content than we are.

Frankly, I would not have a problem living like that. I know I could do it.

One thing I took away from all of the Lincoln history is that I am still undecided on what I think of the man. Freeing the slaves was the right thing to do. But a war to reestablish the union is something else altogether. The way I read the Constitution, membership in the Union is voluntary, and there is nothing in it to prevent a state from seceding. Nothing. But I suppose one would have to be an "originalist" to see it that way. In a sense, Lincoln was the President who ushered in the Imperial Federal Government we have today, and it's not what the Framers intended.

The Lincoln Museum itself is very well done, though I thought it was sparse. I expected many more original artifacts and many more displays. Essentially there was one area that focused on his early adulthood, and one section that focused on his presidency.

It was interesting to see all of the newspaper editorial cartoons from the era that painted Lincoln as a bumbling backwoods dolt. (Sound familiar?) Then to read the words of the Gettysburg Address, and the very fundamental ideas of liberty conveyed in that 3 minute speech was very...ironic I guess.

When was the last time (in our lifetime) that a politician made a 3 minute speech that has been revered by all for the concepts it conveyed? Yea, me neither.

So, that's the trip in a nutshell. We'll see how the pics turn out and I'll see about putting some on here.

Have a blessed week y'all.