"Lincoln" legal mistake

[RJNorton]

Hi Lane. I researched this when the movie came out, and the only source I found for this quote are the reminisces of Congressman John B. Alley published in Reminiscences of Abraham Lincoln by Distinguished Men of His Time collected and edited by Allen Thorndike Rice. Goodwin used an 1886 edition.

The two House members who are supposed to have heard this remark are not named either in Goodwin's book or Rice's. Goodwin writes, "He (Lincoln) assigned two of his allies in the House to deliver the votes of two wavering members. When asked how to proceed he said the quote about clothed in immense power. Unless I am missing it, Alley doesn't even say if he is one of the two Congressmen present for the remark.

As you noted the Fehrenbachers did not even include it in their book, and thus I do wonder if its apocryphal.