A NEW annual President’s Day tradition has taken place at the first Abraham Lincoln statue raised outside of the United States.
The White House Historical Association initiated the wreath laying ceremony after its president travelled to Scotland over the Christmas period.
The Lincoln statue was inaugurated in 1893 to commemorate Scottish soldiers who died in the Union Army during The American Civil War in the Old Calton Cemetery in Edinburgh.
READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon warns PM's Covid testing cut will be 'catastrophic'
The memorial also features a freed slave and is believed to be the only statue outside of the US which marks the Civil War.
Speaking at the wreath laying ceremony, Cabinet Secretary for Culture Angus Robertson said that Lincoln’s opposition to slavery and white supremacy should be an “inspiration" to Scots.
The statue features Lincoln standing on a plinth with the words “emancipation” written below. At the bottom half of the statue a slave, beside two regimental flags, looks upwards and reaches towards the US President.
President's Day is celebrated each year on the third Monday in February to honour those who have served in the office, but particularly founding father George Washington and Lincoln.
Wreaths laid by attendees at the first annual celebration of President's Day in Scotland
Speaking to The National, Robertson said: “I think most people in Edinburgh and Scotland aren’t even aware that the memorial exists.
"It commemorates Scottish service men that served in the American civil war on the side of the United States forces who were fighting against white supremacy and the slave-owning states, and it’s entirely fitting that we remember the contribution of Scots to the emancipation of slaves.
“There’s a slave represented in the memorial and we are marking this just at a time where there is a debate in Scotland, just as there is in many other countries about how we remember our own history in relation to slavery.
READ MORE: Lord Frost devolution plan shows Tories 'don't prioritise Scotland'
“This memorial is I think very fitting to remember both Abraham Lincoln, the Scots that served in the American civil war, and remembering the connections between Abraham Lincoln and Scotland.”
Robertson explained that Lincoln had a great love of Scotland and Robert Burns’ poetry and music - despite being born 13 years after the Scotsman’s death.
After the US President’s assassination, his wife Mary Todd Lincoln travelled to Alloway in Dumfries and Galloway, which Robertson said was “in part a reflection of the connection between her husband and Robert Burns".
Robertson added: “This memorial is about Abraham Lincoln and his leadership in the fight against slave-owning and white supremacist insurrectionists and about the proclamation of emancipation that was then declared freeing African Americans in the States, that should be an inspiration to people everywhere and reflects the history of the United States in the 19th century.
The Lincoln statue is in the Old Calton Cemetery in Edinburgh
“Now in the 21st century we should look at every opportunity to celebrate the links and connections between Scotland and the United States and I look forward to us doing that going into the future.”
Edinburgh SNP councillor Amy McNeese-Mechan, who also attended the event, told how the ceremony is “personal” as she originally comes from Illinois - colloqially known as The Land of Lincoln.
She said that Lincoln was “revolutionary” in his beliefs that governments should serve the people.
Robertson, left, with McNeese-Mechan, right, and Stewart McLaurin, centre
McNeese-Mechan, who also attended the Abraham Lincoln elementary school, said: “I feel this is a statue that is not about someone who won a war, although utlimately he did, it’s about somebody who stood for freedom and emancipation and I think that’s wonderful.”
She added: “He was a thinker, a lot of the things that we celebrate now, we celebrate people for their looks or being a fighter, physical prowess, he was a thinker and he thought about the system that existed, thought about the challenges and potential bloodshed and thought it was the right thing to do.”
Stewart McLaurin, president of the White House Historical Association said: “To see a statue of Abraham Lincoln in Edinburgh is a thrilling reminder of how he bent American history towards the arc of justice - and of our nation’s deep ties and everlasting friendship with Scotland.”
READ MORE: Fresh calls for PM to quit after secret Tory donor advisory board revelations
Jack Hillmeyer, US consul general, said: “The United States and Scotland share many deep and profound connections. The Scottish American Soldiers Monument provides a constant reminder that our close relationship even extends to the field of battle.
"This ceremony is a fitting tribute to Lincoln, whose shining example of leadership during America’s darkest hour continues to inspire, and the Scots who were moved to fight for freedom and equality on American shores.”
The Lincoln statue was recently restored after a missing spearhead from one of the regimental flags was returned to Edinburgh Council after 40 years.
The spearhead had been taken off and collected for repairs and sat in a variety of workshops before it was thought lost.
It was returned by a now-retired employee living in Spain who kept it for safekeeping.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel