Southern Lincoln-haters are idiots.
If Booth haden’t shot him, the “reconstruction” would have been a FACT. The “South” would have prospered much more quickly as Lincoln would have been just as effective against his own Radicals.
Lincoln was the classic example of “destroying the Constitution in order to save it.” He ran roughshod over the recognized limits of Presidential power and civil liberties as they were previously recognized between 1789 and 1861. Now you can argue both sides as to whether it was necessary, but I don’t subscribe to the Lincoln-as-sainted-martyr camp. I subscribe to the Lincoln-as-ultimate-pragmatist camp. His sole aim was to preserve the Union and he was going to do whatever it took, even if extra-legal, to do it. Being a lifelong Southerner, Virginia native, and growing up 15 miles from Appomattox Court House might color my view, granted.
However, I’ll agree with you that Booth was an idiot. Lincoln’s magnanimity toward the South was genuine as far as any historian can tell, and Reconstruction would have been a good bit gentler and the Radical Republicans less prominent had he lived out his second term. Abe knew he could afford to be generous because he had the war won.
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Correct. Lincoln was all about mending the south and healing the wounds. He had no plans to punish the south and that did not make the northern governors and industrial machine happy. They did not want the south to basically rebound and challenge them economically. Once his plans were made known the and the governors could not talk him back form the ledge they had him killed, IMO.
They are even bigger idiots when they also claim to be conservatives.