“IIRC, Johnson was President at the time of the Purchase.”
From a quick wiki:
It looks like the negotiations had been ongoing since 1859 but according to wiki, the Americans had been much more interested in the Civil war than in purchasing new land. It specifically says “Following the Union victory in the civil war, the Tsar instructed the Russian minister to the United States, Eduard de Stoeckl, to re-enter into negotiations with William Seward in the beginning of March 1867.” Seward had, of course, been Lincoln’s sec of state but no one in the US gov seems to have put any effort into the purchase until 1867, after Lincolns death.
That’s what I said....Lincoln was no where in sight at the time.