Richard Reynolds Montgomery-Spy Extroidinary

[JMadonna]

The official war was over but Lincoln recognized the situation was much too fluid to make a one size fits all policy. Stanton's 5 zones of occupation was a proper method to begin return of control to local authorities. With time the authorities would determine who was loyal, who wasn't and who could be trusted with local control.

The problem was the ascension of the southerner Johnson who saw no reason to change southern culture, particularly keeping the black man at the lowest end. Like a good Democrat he opened the White house into a pay to play brothel selling pardons to rich plantation owners and encouraging resistance against the army.

I'm certain Lincoln would have been able to control the Radicals. Most probably he would have allied with Thaddeus Stevens who showed true leadership during the reconstruction process. Without Stevens the war would have flared up again, just like WWI.