Recalling American presidents for a more perfect union

The current president has now served 1 ½ years of four; well into his term. The prior administration is way over, so it’s fair to start rating this one. Historians will begin comparing other American presidents with regard to foreign policy-world leadership, domestic legislation, budgeting, key appointments, communicative skills and a vision for the future. These all matter greatly, yet it seems that United States citizens should simply track the key word in the nation’s name to see where all presidents stand. Just how “United” are we? How much has each president done to bring us together as a “We the People”?

A chart of presidents might then take us from the Washington and Lincoln “uniter” caliber down to the opposite extreme, one we might call the “divider” caliber. These would be presidents who did little to promote the general welfare or to insure domestic tranquility, as our Constitution purports to do. Remember, “We the People” are always trying to form a more perfect Union, as stated in the Preamble.

With attention to historical accuracy, recall that after the Revolutionary War, the United States government operated under the Articles of Confederation until the Constitution was made the law of the land in 1788. Thus, the very first “American president” was a person named John Hanson. His title was “President of the United States in Congress Assembled,” and was appointed by Congress rather than elected as we do today (Washington became the first president under the Constitution in April of 1789). Hanson and seven other patriots of the Revolution served one-year terms under the articles. All eight of these men contributed in some way to create the Constitution. They were definitely “Uniters.”

Next, we must realize that there have been “Dividers.” Take a look at the Civil War, the worst of times for being “United States.” There was James Buchanan, just before Lincoln, who did about as well as Emperor Nero did in Rome, “fiddling” as his realm slipped into chaos. Then there was the man who served as president of the Confederate States of America, Jefferson Davis, who consequently gets the distinction of the “American president” who did the most to take “We the People” apart. He found doctrines of various kinds, what we might call “cultural conflict” factors to foment fear, distrust and resentment. He is obviously the most accomplished “divider.”

As we consider the current administration, realize that we may be in the midst of what some call “the Second Civil War,” not so much about armies and weapons as it is about battles of words and ideas in the cultural conflict mentioned above.

Similar to pre-Civil War times, we find a major issue shaping divisions in the issue of immigration. Slavery was a form of “forced immigration” leading to huge economical success. Its expansion into the new territories led to major problems for a growing nation. Southern states feared that the incoming Lincoln administration would attempt to eliminate “a way of life”, and broke up the Union.

Fast forward to the immigration of today and you will see the same fears of newcomers headed into the nation bringing unknown problems and challenges with them. Like planters then who defended the status quo in order to thrive, there exists now a hesitancy and fear of such things as terrorism, property crime, overstress on services and over growth if allowed to continue as it has for years. Cultural conflict has been unnecessarily pushed into these emotional circumstances, and “a way of life” is still at stake in the fears of many.

The best presidents of our past found ways to work toward compromise and mutual opportunities for success among the people, old and new. Keep in mind that as the nation grows, so does our Constitution. To borrow from Lincoln in his Second Inaugural Address as the Civil War ended and reuniting commenced:

“With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds ... and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”

Just a suggestion here that we may want more than a slogan such as “Make America Great Again” to strengthen what we have and hold dear “In Order to Form a More Perfect Union”. How about this:

“Make the United States of America United Again.”