Is there a list of the best Lincoln Assassination Consp. books for our library?

[RJNorton]

(05-27-2013 08:38 AM)william l. richter Wrote:  After writing 4 volumes in three titles based on the Come Retribution thesis, I must confess that I agree with your unnamed esteemed historian. One needs but to study the Radical Republicans and Stanton's own lack of character to get a gut reaction that he was behind it. One day I looked at all my work and said loud to myself, "this is all BS, Stanton did it." I have believed that since 1960 despite all the evidence that point other ways.

Admittedly this will probably get me in trouble, but I will say something nice about Robert Mills' book. Mills has taken a lot of grief over the years. But I actually think he brings up some interesting questions. Basically he seems to think Booth couldn't have pulled the thing off so easily without help from above (Stanton, etc.). He feels Stanton thought Booth was going to kidnap Lincoln. Stanton decided to let it happen as he felt Booth's plan would have failed. The attempt at kidnapping the president would have turned public opinion against the South, and allowed for Stanton's harsh plans for the South after the war. Stanton was as shocked as anyone when Booth shot the president rather than kidnapping him. In the process of explaining his theory Mills asks a whole series of questions, some of which seem legitimate to me. I do not agree with Mills' overall theory, but I do compliment him on his inquisitive nature. Even those of us who do not agree with Bill R. must admit there are many unanswered questions on how things really went down on April 14.

Jim G. says, "I'm saying that the Lincoln Assassination, for the most part, is pretty well understood by the intelligensia (sp?) of the group here as a Confederate abduction plot that went kinda haywire, with a rogue operative." Jim's point is well-taken and seems to be the majority opinion here, but I don't think we should forget there are other possibilities, too.

In my opinion the chances that it was a Northern plot, while low (IMO), are not zero.