“Those are Washington and Lincoln, all others are several steps below them.”
Washington, yes. Following the revolution, he was offered kingship, and turned it down! He made mistakes, but that single act of pure statesmanship puts Washington far above all other presidents, including Lincoln.
I’m not going to try and relitigate the Civil War. To the victors go the spoils, not least of which is the privilege of recording history in a favorable light.
Agreed, but no president ever faced remotely the difficult situation confronting Lincoln.
That puts him behind Washington, but ahead of any others.
IMO “Let them up easy” solidified Lincoln’s place in history in the same way. He sought not just reunification, but reconciliation and rehabilitation of all Americans.