This poem is the Chief’s favorite lullaby. He says that reading about the Civil war always makes him think of this poem.

The Ape man is so excited that he is frothing at the mouth in this week’s rant. We think that he might be going a little over the top, but we are afraid to tell him so.

In some quarters it has long been argued that the North should have let the South leave the Union. We have been assured that if that had been allowed to happen slavery would have died a slow death and much bitterness and bloodshed would have been avoided.

But in this essay, “Spengler” argues that South would have spread slavery throughout the southern hemisphere if they had not been stopped by the Lincoln.

The poem of the week has some relevance to the essay of the week as is our custom. But the relevance is lost in the twisted maze of the Chieftain’s head.

Our essay this week is not an essay properly speaking. Rather it is speech by Abraham Lincoln. It seem only fitting that as Lincoln’s birthday approaches that we should give him some space on our blog to defend himself against those who would argue that the South had every right to seceded. It would do well for people to listen to Lincoln’s own defense of Union as the South prepared to rebel before they make up their mind on the matter.

If you can’t figure out why this poem was made poem of the week, we are not going to tell you

This rant just rubs salt in Chief’s wounds. He is on record as wishing that he could write.

The general theme for this week’s picks seems to be things that bring tears to Chieftain’s eyes. We happen to know that he has read this essay several times and he still has tears in eyes by the time he reaches the end.