“No, but after Pearl Harbor would you have suggested that Roosevelt could have imposed economic sanctions without immediate war.”
The time to take intermediate measures is before the shooting starts. It is my understanding Roosevelt did just that - he imposed economic sanctions against Japan well before Pearl Harbor. And he conducted peace negotiations before jumping into war. Roosevelt’s government was, in fact, negotiating with the Japanese right up until the attack at PH.
Lincoln was unwilling to give economic sanctions time to work. And he was unwilling to meet with the Confederates and negotiate in good faith.
Roosevelt was a Big Government Democrat and you might suspect I do not agree with much of what he did. But I do admire his 1936 remarks when he honored General Lee in Dallas. Said Roosevelt: “I am very happy to take part in this unveiling of the statue of General Robert E. Lee.
All over the United States we recognize him as a great leader of men, as a great general. But, also, all over the United States I believe that we recognize him as something much more important than that. We recognize Robert E. Lee as one of our greatest American Christians and one of our greatest American gentlemen.”
But for both Lincoln and Roosevelt the shooting had started. And you are claiming that after having been attacked then Lincoln should have tried blockades, economic sanctions, international pressure, etc., etc. Well should Roosevelt have buckled down after Pearl Harbor and taken your advice instead of declaring war?
Lincoln was unwilling to give economic sanctions time to work. And he was unwilling to meet with the Confederates and negotiate in good faith.
Negotiate what exactly? Was his positions, an end to secession, even open for discussion? Based on the letter Davis sent to him, no it was not. So what was there to talk about except a surrender to everything the Confederates wanted?