Lincoln: When history chooses its instrument..

Even if there are many criticisms against Lincoln by Marxists, and about the abolitionism as a Capitalist means to confirm the continuation of the market without conflicts and fragmentation  the Spielbergian movie Lincoln (2012) invokes few thoughts about people and their role in the history. As Lincoln himself claims that history chooses people as instrument which he identifies himself with. The film shows how much he was determined for his cause despite pressure from outside and within. What is right and the historical role that is assigned to us operates as the hidden Kantian agent of Priori in determining which way to vote in the House. Everybody was counting the votes within the House, outside in the camps etc. and wanted to be part of making the history. Man is ultimately driven by this hidden, mysterious power to choose what is required by him in deciding the pathway of history. Despite pressure, threats and risks Lincoln stood by his policy to abolish slavery and establishing equality among American citizens irrespective of color. That was a historical decision and the future humanity sublimated Lincoln as a person who shouldered a burden that history demanded from him. The film beautifully moves from the House where voting was taking place to outside where soldiers and civilians count the votes and to Lincoln’s chamber where a clock is ‘clicking’ the historical moments of human emancipation.

The historical turn that is captured in the movie is very similar to Amistad where the young judge frees the slaves captured by the American from the notorious ship Ticora. The new judge was appointed to slow down the movements of history but he unexpectedly gave the ‘decision’ to ‘send them back to Africa’ by being obedient to the historical demand to move toward righteousness. In Lincoln too in the close of the vote, the Speaker wished to cast his vote which is mostly unlikely to be for a Speaker. But he insisted on it because rather than just a vote, it is a process where history is made and rewritten. Lincoln and those who supported this constitutional cause not only made a brand new history but showed an example as to how it should be done as Statesmen. Though he was shot dead his task was done by then, sometimes history removes people once its instrumental task is fulfilled to make them more symbolic in us. Lincoln belongs to the symbolic political history after his death.

The Congressman Stevens was the first who appeared in the House on the day of the vote. He was waiting for his historical role on this significant day. He finally takes the paper from the secretary of the House and promises to return it ‘creased but unharmed’ in the morning. He wanted to show that to his beloved as a gift of his making history where she is now recognized as a citizen. He has been long waiting for that moment and he can now sleep with his dream come true. This gift (as well as his love) can be recognized as a compensation for the historical injustice done to African-Americans through the colonization exploitations. On this other hand, this Bill explains how man can correct his historical mistakes and his inner potential to respect the call of Justice. Lot of leaders in the world should understand that they are result of a certain historical call and expected to perform its duty to a final universal humanity. They are answerable to history and the instrumental forces of history will ultimately determine their fate.

Some of the efforts made by Lincoln's associates to 'bribe' some Democrats also succeeded because of the same previous reason; we are all governed by a Master Signifier of Universal Justice. It is true that some key votes to turn the history had to be 'purchased' by exploiting man's inherent evil inside him but what finally matters is we do the justice for a millions of unborn to come by letting them to be born to a language of equality and justice. For that matter, the end point of evil is not evil itself but justice.

The silent movements and profoundness of Lincoln in the movie illustrate that he is nothing but an instrumental servant of difficult time that wanted expedited actions and universal examples. It is a time which demanded compensations for our own misdeeds. Like the young judge in Amistad, Lincoln too was a custodian of a historical duty, the duty towards universal humanity. He simply made sure in front of us that evil is destined to fall one day. In the cause, Lincoln did not fall but his death sublimated his name among us. He proved that heroes are not caricatures. The disappearance  of author itself is one measurement to judge to success of the deed, because the death itself makes the action more symbolic than ever.