Whoever would understand in his heart the meaning of America will find it in the life of Abraham Lincoln.--Ronald Reagan, First Inaugural
I do not recall the context of that remark. But I am not sure what your point is. Certainly one can respect and admire both Jefferson Davis and Lincoln. Both men showed considerable character, just as each made mistakes. That is not tantamount to endorsing any particular thing that either did during the period 1861-1865.
The things which many of us, who disagree with the wisdom of the War of 1861-1865, still admire Lincoln for, was his demonstration of how a properly motivated lad may teach himself. Lincoln's life was a total refutal of the idea that you have to spend enormous sums of money to educate the youth.
Another admirable thing about Lincoln was the sentiment expressed in his Second Inaugural Address: "With Malice Towards None; With Charity Towards All." Had he lived, there would have been no nightmare of Reconstruction; no Fourteenth Amendment.
William Flax