Honor's Voice, A Tale of Self-Identity and Ethical Choices Part 5

In the 5th section of Douglas Wilson's Honor's Voice, Lincoln's move from New Salem to Springfield is discussed. After Lincoln had helped make Springfield the capital of Illinois, he had established himself as a leader in the Illinois legislature. Even though he had moved up the ranks, he decided to take up a career in law, to be "the law partner of a rising political star" (Wilson 261). Lincoln, however, could not pursue his career in law in the city of New Salem as it didn't provide him the opportunity to do so. He would have to move to Springfield. Moving from New Salem to Springfield would not be easy for Lincoln just as moving from a house that one has been living at for years to a new location would presumably be difficult. What made the move even more difficult is the fact that Lincoln had built up a strong reputation in New Salem, one that would have to be re-built if he moved to Springfield. Wilson attests to this, "He established a viable niche for himself at New Salem, where he was not only accepted but regarded as something of a remarkable young man. But there was no future for a lawyer there" (Wilson 249). Dealing with the challenge of moving to New Salem would be somewhat of a test for him.

Upon Lincoln's arrival to Springfield, he was a man who was by no means one of the upper-class. Lincoln was born into a farming family and lived in the same conditions of those around him, no better, no worse. To Lincoln, though, this didn't matter: "Poverty was not the issue, for Lincoln seems to have been quite content to live a simple life of very few materials wants and possessions. The issue was debt" (Wilson 265). Lincoln had incurred sums of debt as a result of investing in a horse and a compass as well as a failed storekeeping venture. Just as if that wasn't enough, Lincoln had several other problems. Wilson writes, "If Lincoln's first year in Springfield found him having to cope with apprehension about his prospects as a lawyer, feelings of social ineptitude and a lack of acceptance, there was at least one more thing that must have given him serious concern: his recurring bouts of depression" (Wilson 283). The doubt of his being successful should be expected and his want for being accepted into the society is by no means abnormal. On the flip side, Lincoln's depression, which is seemingly abnormal to those who regard Lincoln as great, was quite normal as he had lived with the blues before he came to Springfield. What was different about the blues he had in New Salem was the fact that he didn't show it. In Springfield, it seemed to consume him and it showed greatly. One of Lincoln's associates, Herndon, described Lincoln as "a sad-looking man; his melancholy dripped from him as he walked" (Wilson). Lincoln's move was met with adversity, but he would pull through.