By Doris Kearns Goodwin
I went to the.movies.to see Perfect Pitch, which by the way was excellent and I highly.recommend it. Anyway in the trailers, there it was from out of nowhere A Dreamwoks film Lincoln. "What?" says I. I sat spellbound waiting for the punchline ie Vampire Hunter or some other bizzare usage for the man, but none came. It was for.real; A movie about Abraham Lincoln, and it will be based on the book "Team Of Rivals."
So i ran home and picked up this book which i have had in the cue for.sometime and got started. It is a good.time to start as i.am.just finishing up the.Foote trilogy. Its a re-read I.read it when.i first studied the Ameican Civil War but just as great a second time.
So on to the book..
We start off by learning the back stories.of.he.four men most likely to be in the running for.the Republican nomination for president in the 1860 election. They are: Salmon P. Chase, Edward Bates, William H Seward and course our.Lincoln. Author Keens tells that Lincolns' generation was full of.self-made men jusr like Lincoln, and in that.time men were very expressive of.their.friendships they made along the way. This was normal.behavior for the time. So on we go.
Chapter three: This is really in depth on the back stories, love it.
Its starting to really heat up now. The fight over the new territories, won in the mexican war, causes a tenative compromise. Henry Clay the great pacifier has all he can do to shepard the bill through. On the heels of the compromise you have Kansas-Nebraska and Mr Douglas' pop-sov. And the oppostion ie the future republicans begin to realize that this could mean slavery north of the 36/30 line of the Missouri Compromise. And with the Fugitive Slave.Law strengthened as part what was now being called the compromise of 1850, they realize that, unlile what they had always assumed, slavery may not be dying a slow extinctive death. Drop in the bomb of Uncle Tom's Cabin and now tempers really begin to flair. And in this crucible of events around 1854 would be forged a new political party. In Syracise in late September 1855, former "conscience" Whigs, dissafected Democrats, free-ssoilers and even some know-nothings got.together to form the Republican party.The party that would go on to dominate politics for many years to come.
About this time, Charles Sumner, gives a speech on the senats floor denouncing slavery and in the process insulting Andrew Butler And Stephen Douglas. Douglas blows it.off as alot of hot air but Preston Brooks decides to avange his uncles' honor but committing one of the.most dishonarable and cowardly acts.of the era. He sneaks up on Sumner and beats him to near death with a cane. This dastardly deed further inflames and separates the sections.
Next on the stage we have Dred Scott and the Supreme Court decision that rocked the nation. Chief Justice Roger Taney (pronounced tawney) claims that black men have no rights that white men are obligated to observe, essentially declaring him a non-person and therefore not eligible to see satisfaction in a court.
On to the famous Lincoln- Douglas debates.
They gathered in Chicago to nominate a presidential canidate for the 1860 election. The balloting, and public opinion, were steady for Seward. But as the the third balloting commenced the dark horse, Lincoln, was gaining on the leader. And when
"David K. Cartter of Ohio stood and announced the switch of 4 votes from Chase to Lincoln. 'A profound stillness fell upon the Wigwam.'" And with that , to the astonishment of all, Abraham Lincoln would be the Republican nominee for.the 1860 election.
Lincoln wins! After winning the election, Lincoln sets out to create his family, that is his cabinet posts. Figured promimently in the new family would.be the rivals; Seward would get state, Chase treasury, Bates would be top law man as Attorney General. This would be rounded out by "father Neptune" Wells at Navy And the ever notoriuos Cameron at Defense. Throw in Monty Blair as postmaster and it is done.
On the heels.of the announcement of Lincolns' election South Carolina votes.to seceed. And if there was any doubt as the sincerity of the threat, with the seccession it was removed.
Before Lincoln can even take office the crisis of seccession is erupting. Lincoln stands firm he'll have no compromise on the extension of slavery into the
territories stating,"The tug has to come, & better now, than any time hereafter.”
When the Marylanders threaten to cut the lines cutting off reinforcements coming from the north, Lincoln suspends habeas corpus. This contraversial move will be discussed and debated through the ages since. One thing was certain the Federal Government was taking its first steps towards what it would become. Father neptune Wells grasped the indications stating," government will, doubtless, be stronger after the conflict is over than it ever has been, and there will be less liberty.”
So we try Greeley's whole "On to Richmond" thing and are repulsed. McClellan is brought in and the first thing he does is start insulting Gen Scott. I mean here is the first soldier of the Republic, the hero of Lundy's Lane, "they're regulars by god." And here's this little pissant McCllelan whose not fit.to shine Scott's shoes belittling him.
Louisa May Alcott was a nurse in one of the makeshift hospitals in DC.
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