Lincoln / Stanton relationship

[wpbinzel]

The real value to the relationship was that Stanton was the "bad cop" to Lincoln's "good cop." Lincoln once said, "If I have one vice -- and I can call it nothing else -- it is not to be able to say no! Thank God for not making me a woman, but if He had, I suppose He would have made me just as ugly as He did, and no one would ever have tempted me."

Lincoln routinely endorsed requests, but told the petitioner to get Stanton's endorsement as well, relying on Stanton to sort them out. After Stanton ripped up a request, the petitioner would return the shredded paper to Lincoln and ask that he admonish the Secretary, to which Lincoln would reply that Stanton had enough troubles, and he wasn't going to add to them. In the few instances when Lincoln was insistent, he would tell Stanton, "It will be done, Mr. Secretary," and Stanton complied. In short, they made a very good team.