Thomas F. Harney

[Jenny]

Quote: Please do not confuse skills with character and intelligence.
Conclusion: There is nothing to rehabilitate. Let us just recognize them for what they were and move on.

Oh, please. That is a very arrogant attitude and ridiculous in my opinion. No one is trying to "rehabilitate" them. I think we can all agree that the actions *they are famous for* were downright wrong. But what about the FACT that these were human beings, no more or no less as *any* human beings who have ever lived, who lived and died in what was the most turbulent time in American history, and when Lincoln was assassinated (which was deemed a war crime, hence the military trial) the side they had supported had just lost after four years of fighting, etc? And the side that loses isn't the one to write history, is it, sir?

If you can honestly so easily dismiss these people as having "bad character" by summing them up in a sentence or two as you did, then I think you are extremely naive. Did you know any of them intimately by any chance? Could you tell me about their quirks, their interactions with *everyone* they interacted with over *the entire courses of their lives," etc. No?

Honestly? I wrote a very long post in response that I was going to submit but I deleted most of it since I already know that the entire idea that the people involved in the assassination of President Lincoln were not the completely evil or mentally challenged (or whatever other negative description left behind by history you want to throw in) is taboo and completely unthinkable to many people here. I've watched others try to convey this line of reasoning before, and certain people just refuse to go there. Which is unfortunate but understandable for some, I guess. I can't pretend that I think any of these people will ever be "redeemed" by history because they honestly won't be... but I also remember that history has not left behind their entire stories either. History rarely does for anyone, much less for people under the same circumstances the conspirators were.

Apologies if I was too harsh here (Roger, feel free to take it down if you feel the need), but attitudes like this really irritate me.