To please an official Abraham Lincoln once signed an order transferring certain
regiments. Secretary of War Stanton, convinced that the President had made a
serious mistake, refused to carry out the order. And for good measure he added
“Lincoln is a fool!”
When this was reported to Lincoln he said, “If Stanton said I am a fool then I
must be one, for he is almost always right. I think I’ll step over and see for myself.”
That is exactly what he did. Stanton convinced him that the order was a mistake
and Lincoln promptly withdrew it. Everyone knew that part of Lincoln’s greatness
lay in the way he welcomed criticism.
🙂
To please an official Abraham Lincoln once signed an order transferring certain
regiments. Secretary of War Stanton, convinced that the President had made a
serious mistake, refused to carry out the order. And for good measure he added
“Lincoln is a fool!”
When this was reported to Lincoln he said, “If Stanton said I am a fool then I
must be one, for he is almost always right. I think I’ll step over and see for myself.”
That is exactly what he did. Stanton convinced him that the order was a mistake
and Lincoln promptly withdrew it. Everyone knew that part of Lincoln’s greatness
lay in the way he welcomed criticism.
🙂