With Malice Toward None

I. Presidential Reconstruction

A. 13th Amendment

1. National Union Party platform--at Lincoln's insistence, the National Union Party adopted a resolution calling for the end of slavery in the United States

2. James M. Ashley--one of the leading Radical Republicans in the House of Representatives, re-introduced the 13th Amendment in that body.

3. 1864 Annual Message--Lincoln attempted to reach out to Democrats of the lame-duck session of the 38th Congress to pass the amendment, since all but four had voted against the amendment in the previous session.

4. Using Presidential "Influence"--Lincoln used a variety of methods to enhance his influence with members of Congress.

B. Peace Overtures--at the time of the Congressional debate over the 13th Amendment, there were also negotiations ongoing with Confederate representatives over ending the war; Lincoln used some obfuscation to calm Democrats excited about the possibility of achieving peace without ending slavery.

1. 1864 Annual Message to Congress--while maintaining that there was no point negotiating with Jefferson Davis, who demanded independence for the South, Lincoln promised generous terms for those states that broke with the Confederacy and rejoined the Union.

2. Northern Peacemakers


3. Southern Peacemakers--While rejecting Blair's plan, Lincoln sent him back with a message that he would be willing to receive a Confederate commission to negotiate peace. By doing so, Lincoln hoped to be able to divide the Confederate government internally, and thus hasten the end of the war.

C. Setting Up Loyal Southern Governments

1. Louisiana--one of the earliest "loyal" governments established in the seceded South, both and the state and local level (New Orleans). Lincoln insisted that he would veto any legislation that did not include recognition of the free-state governments that his administration had established.

2. Presidential Reconstruction--Lincoln's victory in November changed the dynamics of his relationship with Congress, because that body was now more likely to go along with Lincoln's proposals than in his first administration

II. Lincoln's Second Inauguration


A. Lincoln's Turn Toward God--since the death of his young son Willie, Lincoln had increasingly turned to the Bible for solace and strength. The second inaugural address is steeped in biblical imagery.

1. Lincoln's fatalism--Lincoln's fatalism dovetailed with his new-found religious ardor that informs the argument he makes in the Second Inaugural Address, particularly his explanation of why the war has lasted so long and cost so much.

2. "With Malice Toward None ..."--Lincoln also used his 2nd Inaugural Address to encourage the process of sectional reconciliation.

III. The Dead-Enders

A. The Plots to Kidnap Lincoln--as the war went from bad to worse for the Confederacy, plots to kidnap Lincoln and hold him for ransom and the release of prisoners underwent serious consideration

1. Union antecedent--while it is unclear how involved Lincoln was, there was an apparent plot to kidnap Jefferson Davis and other high Confederate officials that failed, and may have prompted consideration of their own plots.


B. John Wilkes Booth--a member of the first family of the American theater, Booth was an ardent white supremacist who viewed slavery as beneficial for both the slave owner and the slave.

1. Delusional alcoholic--a talented actor, Booth became increasingly delusional and spent much of his time while conscious drinking.

IV. Assessing Lincoln