In The Art of Worldly Wisdom, Baltasar Gracian said, “He who has already drunk turns his back on the well, and the orange already squeezed turns from gold into mud.“
Gracian reminds us that it is human nature to turn on someone who is no longer needed.
Therefore, it would seem wise for us to keep this fact in mind, particularly as we assess the intents and purposes of the politicians acting within the social dynamics of recent events. It is not the first time that politicians holding power had the opportunity to extract vengeance.
Let us reflect on the story told by General William Tecumseh Sherman in his Memoirs. The story is set at a meeting with Abraham Lincoln, at a point when the North was assured victory in the bloody U.S. Civil War, with a divided country, and with the opportunity for the North, as victor, to extract symbolic vengeance from Jefferson Davis, the South’s leader:
“During this interview I inquired of the President if he was all ready for the end of the war. What was to be done with the rebel armies when defeated? And what should be done with the political leaders, such as Jeff. Davis, etc.? Should we allow them to escape, etc.?
“He said he was all ready; all he wanted of us was to defeat the opposing armies, and to get the men composing the Confederate armies back to their homes, at work on their farms and in their shops.
“As to Jeff. Davis, he was hardly at liberty to speak his mind fully, but intimated that he ought to clear out, ‘escape the country,’ only it would not do for him to say so openly. As usual, he illustrated his meaning by a story:
‘A man once had taken the total-abstinence pledge. When visiting a friend, he was invited to take a drink, but declined, on the score of his pledge; when his friend suggested lemonade, which was accepted. In preparing the lemonade, the friend pointed to the brandy-bottle, and said the lemonade would be more palatable if he were to pour in a little brandy; when his guest said, if he could do so “unbeknown” to him, he would “not object.”‘
“From which illustration I inferred that Mr. Lincoln wanted Davis to escape, ‘unbeknown’ to him.
“I know, when I left him, that I was more than ever impressed by his kindly nature, his deep and earnest sympathy with the afflictions of the whole people, resulting from the war, and by the march of hostile armies through the South; and that his earnest desire seemed to be to end the war speedily, without more bloodshed or devastation, and to restore all the men of both sections to their homes. In the language of his second inaugural address, he seemed to have ‘charity for all, malice toward none,’ and, above all, an absolute faith in the courage, manliness, and integrity of the armies in the field.
When at rest or listening, his legs and arms seemed to hang almost lifeless, and his face was care-worn and haggard; but, the moment he began to talk, his face lightened up, his tall form, as it were, unfolded, and he was the very impersonation of good-humor and fellowship.
“We parted at the gangway of the River Queen, about noon of March 28th, and I never saw him again. Of all the men I ever met, he seemed to possess more of the elements of greatness, combined with goodness, than any other.“
Lest we forget, the majesty of Abraham Lincoln was in his wisdom, strength, and mercy. A lesser person would want vengeance, even symbolic vengeance.
But, Lincoln understood human nature. Lincoln understood what his country needed of him during the War, and what his country needed of him after the War. Love. Real love. Not hate disguised as love.
The spectacle of a Jefferson Davis post-war trial, by the civil war victor, would only perpetuate hate and divisiveness in the now (re-)United States. Lincoln achieved his primary objective uniting a country by war. Now, Lincoln’s primary objective was uniting a people by peace. Lincoln knew what would and what would not further his new objective: mercy and forgiveness, not retribution. [1]
Lincoln knew when to stop; that is, Lincoln wisely knew when enough was enough. [2, 3]
Abraham Lincoln had wise clarity of intention and purpose, without which the blind will lead the blind, and both will slip in the mud and fall into the well. [4]
With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations. Abraham Lincoln, Second Inaugural Address
[1] The Lincoln Leadership Dilemma; Or, The Primary Objective [#GRZ_176]
[3] The Republicans Need to Learn from the Democrats. [#GRZ_215]
[4] Justifiable Fury Is Not Wisdom; To Keep Our Wits About Us [#GRZ_214]
“Homo est dominus legis, lex non est domini hominis.” (“Man is master of law, the law is not master of man.”); “Lex homini servit, homo legi non servit.” (“The law serves man, man does not serve the law.”); “Sapientia non patitur hypocrisin legis.” (“Wisdom does not suffer the law’s hypocrisy.”)
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Gregg Zegarelli’s “Having Drunk from the Well: Love, Mercy and Forgiveness” is a profound meditation on leadership, framed through a historical-philosophical lens using Abraham Lincoln as a paragon of virtuous restraint. It aligns with Zegarelli’s recurring pedagogical method: extracting timeless lessons of wisdom and character from real-world figures and events—often within moments of extreme adversity or power.
🧠 I. CORE PURPOSE & TEACHING INTENT
🎯 Core Thesis:
True leadership is not proven in conquest but in the wisdom to stop conquering.
Zegarelli draws a sharp contrast between vengeance and mercy, arguing that Lincoln’s greatness was not merely in his strength, but in his restraint when he had the power to exact retribution.
The central life lesson is this:
The greatest leaders know when the objective has changed—and that mercy, not further punishment, best achieves the new goal.
📚 II. PEDAGOGICAL STRUCTURE
1. Framing with Gracián: The Nature of Utility and Abandonment
“He who has already drunk turns his back on the well.”
Baltasar Gracián’s insight reminds us that humans tend to discard what they no longer need. Zegarelli uses this to warn against reactive vindictiveness, especially among politicians and partisans following power shifts.
🔑 Teaching Tool: Anchors the emotional impulse of vengeance in an old-world psychological observation—making it relatable and cautionary.
2. Primary Historical Teaching: Lincoln and Sherman
Zegarelli shares a rich anecdote from General Sherman’s Memoirs, retelling Lincoln’s posture toward the South in the final days of the Civil War:
- Lincoln opposed symbolic vengeance.
- He preferred reconciliation, even subtly suggesting that Jefferson Davis should be allowed to “escape.”
“All he wanted of us was to defeat the opposing armies, and to get the men composing the Confederate armies back to their homes…”
🔑 Pedagogical Insight: Great leadership often rests in what is not done—in self-limitation for the sake of a higher good.
3. Lincoln’s Mindset vs. Symbolic Retribution
Zegarelli analyzes the temptation of a post-war trial of Jefferson Davis—arguably deserved—but identifies the danger:
- Such trials would perpetuate hatred, deepening the wound of civil war.
- Lincoln’s objective evolved from winning the war to healing the people.
“Lincoln knew what would and what would not further his new objective: mercy and forgiveness, not retribution.”
🔑 Teaching Shift: Illustrates the ability of wise leaders to recognize when their primary objective must change.
4. Culmination: Second Inaugural Address & Stoic Reinforcement
Zegarelli closes with Lincoln’s famous line:
“With malice toward none, with charity for all…”
He supplements Lincoln with Seneca’s Stoicism and aphoristic Latin philosophy:
- “Wisdom does not suffer the law’s hypocrisy.”
- “Man is master of law, law is not master of man.”
🔑 Pedagogical Layering: Elevates moral governance above mechanical legality—emphasizing that law without wisdom becomes blind punishment.
🧩 III. WHAT IS ZEGARELLI TEACHING?
| Theme | Pedagogical Lesson |
|---|---|
| Mercy vs. Vengeance | True power is seen not in punishing enemies, but in choosing not to |
| Objective Clarity | A leader must know when the mission has changed: from war to peace, from law to healing |
| Wisdom over Law | The law is a tool of man’s wisdom, not the ruler of it—leaders must resist hypocritical legality |
| Post-Power Ethics | Do not turn against those who once served purpose—gratitude over discard |
| Restraint as Leadership | When one can but chooses not to, we witness the highest form of virtue |
🧠 IV. ALIGNMENT WITH ZEGARELLI’S ETHOS
This essay is an exemplar of Zegarelli’s broader ethos:
| Zegarelli Characteristic | How It Appears Here |
|---|---|
| Virtue-based leadership | Lincoln is lionized not for his war command, but for his mercy at the moment of triumph |
| Philosophical clarity | Anchored in Stoicism, Gracián, Latin axioms, and timeless moral clarity |
| De-biasing moral clarity | Avoids political posturing—the lesson is abstracted from political allegiance |
| Historical concreteness | Uses documented memoirs and inaugural address as unassailable primary source |
| Objective-centered pedagogy | Consistently returns to Lincoln’s recognition of his “primary objective”—an evolving one rooted in reunification, not retribution |
⚖️ V. NOTABLE QUOTES AS TEACHING APHORISMS
“Love. Real love. Not hate disguised as love.”
A subtle jab at performative morality and revenge disguised as righteousness.
“Lincoln wisely knew when enough was enough.”
One of Zegarelli’s most condensed insights—power includes the wisdom of when to stop.
“The majesty of Abraham Lincoln was in his wisdom, strength, and mercy.”
This trinity defines Zegarelli’s ideal leader—not merely strategic or popular, but virtuous and restrained.
📝 VI. CONCLUSION
Zegarelli’s essay is not about politics—it is about wisdom.
Through Lincoln’s post-war leadership, he teaches:
- Moral maturity, where victory is not measured by domination but by what one builds next.
- Strategic clarity, where the primary objective is not static, but adaptive to the state of peace or conflict.
- Personal restraint, the most difficult and rarest form of leadership virtue, especially at the height of power.
The essay closes with an unspoken challenge:
In today’s climate of retribution, cancellation, and power cycles, can we show restraint? Can we forgive, not because it’s easy, but because it is the only path to peace?
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© 2021 Gregg Zegarelli, Esq.
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