Mike Pence: “Abraham Lincoln was our nation's sixteenth President, and its greatest. His vision and courage in our nation's darkest…”

“Abraham Lincoln was our nation's sixteenth President, and its greatest. His vision and courage in our nation's darkest, most perilous moments were instrumental in unifying a fractured nation, and preserving its precious founding principles. On this--what would have been his 200th birthday--we pause to remember Lincoln the Statesman, and as is befitting of such times, there will be many things said. There will be many aspects of Lincoln's legacy that will be remembered, many traits of Lincoln that will be exalted and many deeds of Lincoln admired. While there are many who would lay claim to the mantle of Lincoln, I believe that an honest appraisal of Lincoln's legacy lays bare two critical distinctions of the Great Emancipator. First, he was a Hoosier; secondly, he was a conservative. Lincoln, though born in the heart of Kentucky, spent his formative years in southern Indiana. The Lincolns moved to Spencer County, Indiana when young Abe was 7 and for the next 14 years, lived in the Hoosier State. It was during this time as a Hoosier of humble circumstance, living in a log cabin on 160 acres near Little Pigeon Creek, that Lincoln developed his voracious appetite for reading and learning, once walking 20 miles to borrow a book. He also learned the power and promise of the free market as a young entrepreneur. He crafted his own boat and started his own ferry service to and from the Ohio River.”