Abraham Lincoln was a better president than Jefferson Davis

I will prove that Jefferson Davis is a better president than Abraham Lincoln. Clarification of the resolution: 1. Doesn't state how Lincoln was a better president than Jefferson Davis.I will prove that Jefferson Davis is a better president than Abraham Lincoln. Clarification of the resolution: 1. Doesn't state how Lincoln was a better president than Jefferson Davis. 2. Doesn't state when during the president's term. Contentions: 1. Jefferson's political background gave him some experience before taking office. He served as senator and congressman for Mississippi twice. During Franklin Pierre's presidency Davis served as the Secretary Of War. With these political experiences he has the skill and understanding of the government. In the Civil War with this knowledge he was able to form some type of Confederacy government. 2. During war, countries need presidents who have battle experience. Jefferson Davis graduated from West Point, became a colonel, raised and trained a regiment known as the Mississippi Rifles for the Mexican-American War. He has also fought and wounded at the Battle of Buena Vista. President Polk offered him a brigadier general rank and command, yet Davis declined. Equipped with these experiences from the Mexican-American War, Davis knows which of the best generals to appoint, which strategies to approve, and how to prepare for war from scratch. 3. Jefferson owned a plantation and back then running a plantation was financially risky. Anyone who runs a plantation must know the financial expense, profit, taxes, etc. Many fell in debt, but those who didn't became a form of a leader. For example after the Revolutionary War the Secretary of Treasury was none other than Alexander Hamilition. Hamilton began as a clerk and rose to become Secretary of Treasury. This man was a financial genius, he raised money to pay off most of the war debt. Davis has been through risky financial situations and dealt with them, thus Davis is more prepared to raise money for the government to run the war than a country lawyer such as Lincoln. 4. Jefferson knew which generals to appoint. We all knew he appointed Generals: Beauregard, Jackson, Lee, Stuart, and Johnston. They all shared a deep pride and friendship that enabled them to win against the odds. Because Davis' knowledge of which of the generals defended the Confederacy the best, it survived for 4 years. He has the knowledge and skill to be considered "Commander in Chief" 5. Davis made laws in order to run the war. a.He encouraged industrial enterprise throughout the South. The industrial industry began to build their own guns and artillery. b. He 'taxed" a faction of the harvest to feed the army. Hitler later used the same idea for WW2. The Germans also managed to fight for 6 years. Therefore Davis knew how to reach the sources that are needed to fight. c. He printed greenback bills to fund the war. The North stole the idea. d. Passed the Draft law and Substitute Act. Enabled to fill general's quota and provided manpower. The North started out by with a Bounty Law(paid soldiers to fight) as the war dragged on the North decided to "borrow" the South's draft law idea. 6. "His zeal, energy, and faith in the cause of the South were of much of the tenacity with which the Confederacy fought the Civil War."-Autobibiography. Most important his' strong belief and leadership allowed the Confederacy to survive and fight for 4 years. 7. After Davis' inauguration as president in 1861, he sent a peace commission to Washington. Lincoln refused to see the ambassadors from the South. This describes that Lincoln was eager to fight rather solve it though alternative means. If Lincoln truly wanted to preserve the Union he would have took every opportunity he had, yet he didn't take this one. (www.americaslibary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/jb/civil/davis_2.) In conclusion Jefferson has the potential to become a better President than Lincoln. He failed to extend the Confederacy's survival to the present yet he has the resources and leadership skills to make it last for 4 years. Reasons why Lincoln was a bad president: 1. Lincoln had very little military experience. He did not appoint the right generals during the beginning of his term. This caused many deaths for the North more than the Confederacy. Lincoln was heartless near the end of the war and when he did find the right generals he sent them directly to crush the civilians rather than the "rebels."According to civilwarhome.com/casulaites.htm: North: 360,222 total. South: 258,000. 2.Lincoln cheated the U.S Constitution and arrested thousands of U.S citizens, journalists, and political opponents held them without cause or a trial. His actions violated Amendments 1,4,5,6. He trampled the state's and individual's rights. 3.Lincoln didn't really care about slavery. He allowed it to continue in the border states rather than taking a firm stand against it. Abe actually also fought to preserve slavery in the border states. He want to issue of slavery to stay out of war. 4.Lincoln lost the Senate seat twice. Davis won it on his first try. Davis was better prepared than Lincoln. If Lincoln truly wanted to solve the issue Lincoln could had done something during his time in the House to avoid war rather than taking the top position to intimidate the South, causing them to leave. He also never served as a Cabinet member. Thus Lincoln was much less prepared to become president than Davis. 6. Every country in the world eliminated slavery without starting a civil war. Lincoln's presidency sparked the secession of the South and the war. Lincoln not only devalue the Constitution, state's rights, and individual rights yet he didn't truly support the end of slavery and wasn't adequately prepared. 2. Doesn't state when during the president's term. Contentions: 1. Jefferson's political background gave him some experience before taking office. He served as senator and congressman for Mississippi twice. During Franklin Pierre's presidency Davis served as the Secretary Of War. With these political experiences he has the skill and understanding of the government. In the Civil War with this knowledge he was able to form some type of Confederacy government. 2. During war, countries need presidents who have battle experience. Jefferson Davis graduated from West Point, became a colonel, raised and trained a regiment known as the Mississippi Rifles for the Mexican-American War. He has also fought and wounded at the Battle of Buena Vista. President Polk offered him a brigadier general rank and command, yet Davis declined. Equipped with these experiences from the Mexican-American War, Davis knows which of the best generals to appoint, which strategies to approve, and how to prepare for war from scratch. 3. Jefferson owned a plantation and back then running a plantation was financially risky. Anyone who runs a plantation must know the financial expense, profit, taxes, etc. Many fell in debt, but those who didn't became a form of a leader. For example after the Revolutionary War the Secretary of Treasury was none other than Alexander Hamilition. Hamilton began as a clerk and rose to become Secretary of Treasury. This man was a financial genius, he raised money to pay off most of the war debt. Davis has been through risky financial situations and dealt with them, thus Davis is more prepared to raise money for the government to run the war than a country lawyer such as Lincoln. 4. Jefferson knew which generals to appoint. We all knew he appointed Generals: Beauregard, Jackson, Lee, Stuart, and Johnston. They all shared a deep pride and friendship that enabled them to win against the odds. Because Davis' knowledge of which of the generals defended the Confederacy the best, it survived for 4 years. He has the knowledge and skill to be considered "Commander in Chief" 5. Davis made laws in order to run the war. a.He encouraged industrial enterprise throughout the South.