The Hollow Tree Sparknotes
The Hollow Tree During the Civil War, Lincoln told the story of “The Hollow Tree” to illustrate the dilemma that the north was in given that many people who lived in the north were actually southern sympathizers. In the story, the tree was determined to be hollow and a dilemma faced the owner of the tree and house that lay underneath it. For if the owner of the house cut the tree down, the tree would cause tremendous damage because of the size of the tree, but if the tree wasn’t removed, it would provide constant danger and could fall during a storm or when you weren’t prepared for it and injury the family that lived inside the house.
Lincoln used the story to illustrate that when faced with a difficult decision; a leader must lead and …show more content…
Sherman specifically asked if Lincoln wanted Davis captured or if he should be allowed to escape. In typical Lincoln fashion, he answer the question with a story. The story was about a man who practiced abstinence from alcohol. On a hot day, he was asked if we wanted some lemonade by a friend. The friend also asked he wanted something “stronger” in his drink. The man replied “I am opposed to it on principle, but if you manage to put in a drop unbeknownst to me, I guess it wouldn’t hurt me much (Phillips, 1992).” The story signaled that he would not be opposed to allowing Davis to escape. Lincoln was already known for his lack of a desire to punish confederates for the fight against the north. He was more concerned on the reconciliation of the country. This was in line with Lincoln’s principle of not acting out of vengeance or spite.
Within the law enforcement profession, the climb up the ladder can be a bumpy one. People who were once friends now compete with one another for promotions or assignments to special units. In addition, it is not abnormal for officers to generate rivalries with other officers for often petty things. The job provides plenty of opportunities for future supervisors to exercise their command or supervisory authority over others once they advance far enough up the latter. Certainly leaders that do would operating in a manner the opposite of what the Lincoln principles
Lincoln used the story to illustrate that when faced with a difficult decision; a leader must lead and …show more content…
Sherman specifically asked if Lincoln wanted Davis captured or if he should be allowed to escape. In typical Lincoln fashion, he answer the question with a story. The story was about a man who practiced abstinence from alcohol. On a hot day, he was asked if we wanted some lemonade by a friend. The friend also asked he wanted something “stronger” in his drink. The man replied “I am opposed to it on principle, but if you manage to put in a drop unbeknownst to me, I guess it wouldn’t hurt me much (Phillips, 1992).” The story signaled that he would not be opposed to allowing Davis to escape. Lincoln was already known for his lack of a desire to punish confederates for the fight against the north. He was more concerned on the reconciliation of the country. This was in line with Lincoln’s principle of not acting out of vengeance or spite.
Within the law enforcement profession, the climb up the ladder can be a bumpy one. People who were once friends now compete with one another for promotions or assignments to special units. In addition, it is not abnormal for officers to generate rivalries with other officers for often petty things. The job provides plenty of opportunities for future supervisors to exercise their command or supervisory authority over others once they advance far enough up the latter. Certainly leaders that do would operating in a manner the opposite of what the Lincoln principles