Bridgewater Review

Volume 14 | Issue 2 Article 5

Dec-1995 Still Another Hidden Hand Presidency?: The Presidential Leadership Style of Abraham Lincoln and Dwight Eisenhower Thomas Turner Bridgewater State College, [email protected]

Recommended Citation Turner, Thomas (1995). Still Another Hidden Hand Presidency?: The rP esidential Leadership Style of Abraham Lincoln and Dwight Eisenhower. Bridgewater Review, 14(2), 3-6. Available at: http://vc.bridgew.edu/br_rev/vol14/iss2/5

This item is available as part of Virtual Commons, the open-access institutional repository of Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, Massachusetts. ------' ------

Admittedly, an attemptto rank or com­ ner William Herndon, and his good friend pare presidents is often perceived as a pre­ Judge David Davis, would all have agreed carious undertaking. Thus political sci­ of Lincoln that he was "one of the most entist Douglas Kynerd writes, "It should incomprehensible personages we have be abundantly clear that the 'game' of ever known." Even his wife, Mary, once ranking or rating Presidents has no sys­ said of her husband, "He was not a de­ tematic, objective, or scientific base." And monstrative man, when he felt most STILL a letter written to Robert Murray, who has deeply, he expressed the least." In conducted recent polling at Penn State Eisenhower's case, speech writer Emmet ANOTHER University put the matter even more sim­ Hughes summing up the contradictions ply, "Regarding your list of Presidents. in the man, including his tendency to HIDDEN HAND Pfft!" work behind the scenes, wrote, "He was not, then, exactly a simple man." PRESIDENCY?: Utilizing this mask of secrecy, both men exuded a folksy and rather humble The Presidential image which hid some of their truly out­ standing talents. Lincoln has become a Leadership Style figure ofsuch mythical proportions, with tales of his humble beginnings, that he of Abraham serves the role ofthe typical common man in American history. Writing to his friend Lincoln and and fellow Illinois politician, Jesse Fell, in 1859, in a letter which Fell had requested, Dwight Lincoln said: "There is not much of it, for the reason I suppose, that there is not Eisenhower much of me." On another occasion ad­ dressing the 166th Ohio Regiment, he said thathis rise to the presidency showed that Thomas R. Turner any mother's son might aspire to that of­ Plaque of Lincoln to commemorate fice. He also claimed that his policy was to have no policy and that he did not di­ t first glance there may not appear his visit to Boston in 1848. rect events as much as events carried him to be many valid comparisons be­ along. The president created the impres­ tween the presidential leadership A However, a closer analysis of the two sion that he drifted with the tide and that styles of Dwight Eisenhower and Abraham men reveals that there are similarities in his career was due to chance and fortu­ Lincoln. The two men held power almost the manner in which they approached the itous circumstances. one hundred years apart, Lincoln during office. Their solution to dealing with one of the greatest crises that the United people and problems is what Fred In reality, while he may have begun life States has ever witnessed and Eisenhower, Greenstein labeled in his classic study of humbly, as most people did on the fron­ although presiding at the height of the Eisenhower "The Hidden Hand Presi­ tier, by the time of his presidency Lincoln Cold War, in a period of relative peace and dency." Greenstein argues that had distanced himself from many of his prosperity. In addition, Eisenhower had Eisenhower preferred to workbehind the fellow citizens of Springfield. He was a gained worldwide fame as a victorious gen­ scenes, relying on his Cabinet members well known lawyer and a man of substan­ eral in World War II, which almost inevita­ for front-line decisions, while he set broad tial wealth who also possessed major lit­ bly caused the public to perceive him as a policy. An analysis of Lincoln's approach erary talent which might have propelled potential president while Lincoln, who was to the process of governing reveals some him into a writing career if he had been hardly an unknown in the Republican basic similarities, both in personality char­ born under different circumstances. Lin­ party, nonetheless received the nomina­ acteristics, as well as in methods of lead­ coln, who is the American public's ideal tion as very much of a "dark horse" candi­ ership, which also led to a secretive lead­ of the common man, was anything but date. Finally, the world itself has changed ership style. common even ifhe strove mightily to con­ so much in the twentieth century and the ceal the fact. Lincoln and Eisenhower were both by powers of the president have expanded to nature reticent and secretive often mak­ Eisenhowerwas also portrayed as com­ such a degree, that one might suspect that ing them an enigma to those who knew ing from humble beginnings. As biogra­ the two had very little in common. them well. Fellow lawyers, his law part- pher Stephen Ambrose writes, "If

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Eisenhower was not born in a log cabin, Lincoln's procedure: "He always main­ Sherman Adams and John Foster Dulles the shack in Dennison, Texas, was close tained that the proper duty ofeach Secre­ while Lincoln had Edwin Stanton and enough; if his family was not poverty­ tary was to direct the details of everything Salmon Chase. stricken, it was poor enough." Ambrose done within his own department, and to When the record is examined it be­ further notes that until United States en­ tender such suggestion, information, and comes apparent that both Adams and try into World War II in 1941, Ike's career advice to the President, as he might so­ Dulles subordinated themselves to had been extremely ordinary. In fact, "Had licit at his hands. But the duty and re­ Eisenhower. In his memoirs the president he died in 1941, on the verge of retire­ sponsibility of deciding what line of policy wrote of his dealings with the Secretary ment on his fifty-first birthday, he would should be pursued, or what steps should of State, "He would not deliver an impor­ not today be even a footnote in history." be taken in any specific case, in his tant speech or statement until I had read, Similar to Lincoln, Eisenhower's smile judgment belonged exclusively to the edited, and approved it; he guarded con­ and folksy manner concealed much deeper President; and he was always willing and stantly against the possibility that any mis­ intellectual abilities. His staff secretary, ready to assume. it." understanding could arise between us." Andrew Goodpaster, recounted how on Both presidents had learned the les­ Similarly, Chief of Staff Sherman one occasion Eisenhower listened to sev­ son that the head of a vast bureaucracy Adams verified that the legend of his send­ eral hours of presentations by foreign such as the U. S. government will soon ing important decision papers to the presi­ policy experts and then, himself, summa­ lose his effectiveness and his administra­ dentwith the initials "OK S1\' was not true. rized the discussions in a forty-five minute tion will come to a screeching halt if he He explained the role which the president discourse. George Kennan, noted diplo­ becomes immersed in the details of every had given him in the following manner: mat, scholar, and architect of the post department. It was only when the cabi­ "Eisenhower simply expected me to man­ World War II containment policy, who was net member could not handle the job that age a staff that would simplify and expe­ one of those present, later told Goodpaster intervention occurred, as in the case of dite the urgent business that had to be that "in doing so Eisenhower showed his Lincoln's War Secretary Simon Cameron brought to his personal attention and to intellectual ascendancy over every man in or Eisenhower's Defense Secretary keep as much work of secondary impor­ the room." Charles Wilson. tance as possible off his desk." The pa­ While Lincoln did not have the formal Lincoln and Eisenhower apparently pers thatAdams did initial usually involved executive experience which Eisenhower saw their advisors as sounding boards to minor patronage positions with which the did, Lincoln's caution caused him to op­ get all points of view before coming to a president had no desire to be involved and erate in a similar manner. He, too, liked decision. Andrew Goodpaster delighted in which he approved in a routine manner. to solicit advice from various corners, in repeating Eisenhower's quote about the With Adams making the patronage deci­ some cases even after he had made his use of his cabinet: "You know I get the sions, the president realized that the dis­ decision. Lincoln once addressed this ten­ best advisors I can get. I get the most appointed office seeker would vent his dency in himself with the declaration "I brilliant people I can assemble. I listen to anger at the Chief of Staff. am a slow walker but I never walk back." their advice and I even take their advice. Eisenhower also used his Press Secre­ Numerous Eisenhower advisors have But goddammit, I don't have to like it." tary Jim Hagerty as a lightning rod as re­ verified his desire to set broad policy goals Once again, the portrait drawn by Lin­ counted humorously by Hagerty, himself: and make big decisions while he avoided coln friend and newspaperman Noah President Eisenhower would say, "Do it becoming bogged down in the minutiae Brooks is striking: It was a peculiar trait this way." Iwould say, "If! go to that press of details. Attorney General Herbert of Lincoln that, in order to preclude all conference and say what you want me to Brownell learned this the hard way when possibility of doubt in his own mind con­ say, I would get hell." With that he would he brought some pardons to Eisenhower cerning the expediency of any contem­ smile, get up and walk around the desk, who said: "Say, listen this is your job. plated act, he would state to those with pat me on the back and say, "My boy, bet­ You're not supposed to put all that bur­ whom he came in contact many doubts ter you than me." den on me. I'm going to rely on you. and objections not his own, but those of In a very similar fashion, both contem­ What are your recommendations?" others, for the express purpose of being poraries and some later historians have Brownell added on another occasion, "If confirmed and fixed in his own judgment. seen animosity between Lincoln and Sec­ they did not bring to his attention mat­ Such tactics can lead to the perception retary ofWar Stanton, despite the fact the ters that required it, he was severe. But if that the president is not in charge of his two men were actually on very intimate they 'passed the buck' to the president for administration. This will be particularly terms. While some twentieth century front-line decisions, he equally disap­ true if there are dominant individuals in authors have raised preposterous charges proved." the cabinet who may appear to manipu­ that Stanton hated Lincoln so much that Compare this with New York Times late the vacillating chiefexecutive, and, of he engineered his death, during the last editor Henry Raymond's description of course, Eisenhower had such advisors in two summers of the war the two shared

4 L-- _ ------adjoining cottages on the grounds of the tor and role model, he chafed at this criti­ into the lowest drawer of my desk, and Soldier's Home. Here they enjoyed relax­ cism, yet, rather than attacking McCarthy say to myself: "That finishes the incident ing and playing with each other's children in a direct manner, as Harry Truman would and so far as I'm concerned, that fellow.'; with one of Stanton's son's most vivid certainly have done, Eisenhower proceeded Parenthetically, Lincoln also wrote memories being of the president and his simply to ignore him. irate letters, one of the most famous be­ father, dressed in formal clothing, climb­ While there has been some controversy ing to General Meade after he let Lee get ing a tree to rescue some pet peacocks that over the president's tactics, several inti­ away after Gettysburg. After his anger had had become entangled. mates believed they had been effective. cooled, however, he did not forward it to While a policy was under discussion the general. It was annotated "To Gen. Stanton felt free to dissent vigorously, but Meade, never sent, or signed." once an issue was decided, he would al­ Lincoln and Eisenhower did use letter ways yield to the president. On numer­ writing to good effect on a variety of is­ ous pieces of correspondence there ap­ sues. This was a more normal means of pears the notation, "I yield to whatever the communication for Lincoln in the nine­ President may think best for the service." teenth century but is more unique in the Stanton took the same sort of heat for case of Eisenhower, who actually disliked Lincoln as Eisenhower"s advisors did for using the telephone, which is, of course, him with the two men having a working a more direct and confrontational means relationship which complemented their of communication than a letter. On one personalities. Stanton tended to be the occasion, Ike actually sent letters to more harsher of the two, although there were than four hundred businessmen friends times when he could be persuaded that to solicit their support for his plan to re­ some kind deed, such as the release of a organize the Department of Defense. prisoner should be accomplished, but that One of Lincoln's major letter writing he could not do so withoutweakening dis­ campaigns involved his Reconstruction cipline and setting an unwise precedent. policies in Louisiana. Rather than con­ In those cases Stanton was quick to send Eisenhower's Inaugural Portrait, 1956. front the issue of voting rights for blacks the petitioners to Lincoln, who would par­ directly, he worked behind the scenes don the offending individual, thus keep­ writing letters to Governor Michael Hah~ ing Stanton's reputation as a tyrant intact, Speech writer Bryce Harlow wrote and other officials suggesting that intelli­ and enhancing the president's kindly im­ per~ gent blacks and black soldiers should be age. Conversely, when Lincoln saw that "Truman attacked him (McCarthy) sonally by name. Thereby he created a allowed to vote. The impact of a letter he could not take some kindly action, he from the president of the United States would dispatch the petitioners to Stanton monster. Eisenhower killed him and he did it by ignoring him." William Ewald upon the recipient can hardly be under­ who would uphold the harsh action that mem~ estimated. Lincoln wished taken. In each case who aided the president with his Stanton appeared to be the monster and oirs, said the Eisenhower approach in Another similarity is the two presi­ Lincoln the kindly father figure. Stanton most cases of political attack amounted dents' use of language. While both men gladly deflected the anger away from Lin­ to "...don't see, don't feel, don't admit, and could be precise when they wanted to be, coln as Adams or Dulles did with don't answer; justignore your attacker and they also used language to conceal their Eisenhower. keep smiling." policies when it suited their purposes. At This approach had been developed in press conferences, Eisenhower, who had While a brief study cannot deal with actually written speeches for General all policy areas, the manner in which the his youth on advice from his mother "Eventually, outof my mother's talk, gre~ McArthur, was a master of using fractured presidents handled certain major issues is syntax to confuse an issue. Before a press instructive. One of the urgent problems my habit of not mentioning in public anybody's name with whose actions or conference on the Formosa Resolution he faced by Eisenhower was the demagogic told Press Secretary Jim Hagerty, "Don't senator from Wisconsin, Joseph words I took violent exception." He also revealed an interesting device which he worry, Jim, if that question comes up, I'll McCarthy. McCarthy charged that the just confuse them." Years later he would government was riddled with Commu­ used to try to disperse pent-up anger to­ ward someone who had offended him: still chuckle about how hard it must have nists and he particularly criticized former been for the Russian and Chinese intelli­ Secretary of State George C. Marshall, who, I used to follow a practice-somewhat gence agencies to explain to the heads of he said, had lost China to the Communists. contrived I admit-to write the man's their respective governments exactly what Since Marshall had been Eisenhower's men- name on a piece of scrap paper, drop it the president had meant.

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While Lincoln's use of evasive language Each man, while being tolerant of the It should also be obvious that there may not be as readily apparent, after all, indiscretions of those advisors who were might be drawbacks to such a leadership he was the author of the Gettysburg Ad­ still useful to them, could also be ruthless approach. Political Scientist, Richard dress and Second Inaugural, two of the in dismissing those same loyal advisors Neustadt has argued that a president's greatest addresses in the English lan­ when they had become a liability. When success is directly dependent on those he guage, he could also tailor his writing Sherman Adams became enmeshed in a wishes to influence being aware of his poli­ when it suited his purposes. One example scandal over accepting gifts, Eisenhower cies and the potential punishments that is the Emancipation Proclamation, which finally decided thatAdams had to be fired. might come from not supporting them. contains none of the soaring rhetoric of He did not even tell Adams directly but Therefore, if the president's hand is too the GettysburgAddress, causing historian tasked Republican National Chairman hidden, this can at times cause the very Richard Hofstadter to write that it had "all Meade Alcorn to wield the ax. Alcorn was appearance of drift and division within the the grandeur of a bill of lading." The rea­ disturbed that he had to be the messen­ administration which the chief executive son for this, however, according to more ger and since the.firing was done indirectly is trying to avoid. While behind the scenes recent historians, was that in a matter so Adams seemed to feel that his demise he may have a firm hand on the helm, the controversial, Lincoln purposely did not came at the hands ofvice-president Nixon perception of indecision frustrates the attempt to arouse the public. and not the president himself. achievement of policy objectives. Their styles and personalities also Lincoln, who had long tolerated Trea­ Even historians who praise Lincoln marked something ofwhat might be con­ sury Secretary Chase, also dismissed him and Eisenhower as leaders admit that it is sidered the dark side of both men. abruptly in the summer of 1864, when the not always a style they admire in more Eisenhower could use explosive profanity, two clashed over an appointment to the recent practitioners. Indeed, the hidden a trait perhaps not uncommon in career New York Custom House. Lincoln noti­ hand style does not guarantee success and military men, and he could often erupt in fied his Treasury Secretary that "relations there is probably no one leadership style anger. When speech writer Bryce Harlow had reached a point of mutual embarrass­ which is appropriate for all situations. went in to recommend that the president ment" and Chase, who had offered to re­ Nonetheless, it was a style rooted in the should invite Harry Truman to the White sign several times before, was now some­ personalities and upbringing of Lincoln House he told secretary Ann Whitman: what surprised to discover that Lincoln and Eisenhower, which has caused Lin­ "You leave that door open so that when I had accepted. coln to be regarded as our best chief ex­ skid I won't hit the walL.I'm going to do While sometimes being a bit devious ecutive and Eisenhower as far above av­ something to him that's going to infuri­ may be a trait that is admired in a chief erage. However, this secretive style has ate him, and Ijustwant not to hit the wall executive, or at least tolerated as a neces­ made it much more difficult for both con­ when I come out skidding." sary evil, a less generous interpretation temporaries and future generations of Lincoln did use milder language than can be placed on the actions of scholars to decipher their true policies. Eisenhower but was also known when Eisenhower and Lincoln. One of the first annoyed to occasionally use profanity. of the revisionist writers on Eisenhower, Francis Carpenter, who spent six months Murray Kempton, portrayed Ike as devi­ at the White House and produced a paint­ ous as did Richard Nixon when he wrote, ing of Lincoln signing the Emancipation "He was a far more complex and devious Proclamation surrounded by his cabinet, man than most people realized, and in the described an officer who had been best sense of those words." Lincoln's law cashiered from the service visiting the partner, William Herndon, who admired White House and having the temerity to him greatly, nonetheless wrote, "He was say that Lincoln would not do him jus­ always calculating, always planning ahead. tice. Lincoln bolted from his chair and His ambition was a little engine that knew grabbing the man by the collar exploded: no rest." "Sir, I give you fair warning never to show There is also no suggestion that this yourself in this room again." Historian style was unique to these two chiefexecu­ Michael Burlingame devotes a long chap­ tives. Thomas Jefferson is often seen as a ter in his recent book, The Inner World of practitioner of the same style and a more Abraham Lincoln, to what he calls recent candidate would certainly be "Lincoln's Anger and Cruelty." Thomas R. Turner is Professor of History. Ronald Reagan. Further research would Professor Turner would like to acknowledge undoubtedly verify that there are other Louisiana State University at Shreveport, presidents who would fit into this category The Deep South Presidential Program and as well. the Quarterly Journal of Ideology.

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