If you were to ask most Americans to name our two greatest presidents, you would probably hear Washington and Lincoln. Much of their greatness comes as a result of war -- Washington, the Revolution, and Lincoln, the Civil War.

In Lincoln's case, he received violent opposition to the war from his political opponents, the Democrat Copperheads.

The Copperheads blamed Lincoln for starting the war, sympathized with the secessionists, impeded the war effort whenever possible, believed the South could legally secede from the Union, and blamed Lincoln for the heavy losses sustained by the Union troops.

The Copperheads thought of themselves as the Peace Party. They were blinded by their hate for Lincoln.

Do you recognize any similarity to today's events?

Fortunately, Lincoln stayed the course, which was to achieve victory, in spite of a spiteful opposition. War is never popular and very easy to oppose. However, the lack of courage to fight for what is right leads only to future catastrophic results.

Only after the passage of time was Lincoln's greatness recognized. And so it may be for "W."

Thank goodness Lincoln overcame the resistance of the Copperheads and persisted in his noble efforts, or many of us would have needed our passports to travel to Pinehurst.

Monroe Diefendorf

Pinehurst