WISH I’D NEVER SEEN THE SQUIRREL
At one point during the war, Lincoln was forced by his cabinet to confront the realization that many people who were thought to be Union patriots were actually spies providing key information to the Confederacy. Not only was the situation a security concern, but Lincoln was particularly distressed at the obvious lack of loyalty and honesty from so many people who were believed to be Union supporters. After presenting all the evidence, Secretary of War Stanton turned to the president and asked for direction. Lincoln, who had been silent and visibly disturbed, expressed his feelings with a story about the dilemma of an old farmer who had a very large shade tree towering over his house: It was a majestic- looking tree, and apparently perfect in every part–tall, straight, and of immense size–the grand old sentinel of his forest home. One morning while at work in his garden, he saw a squirrel run up the tree into a…
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