Lincoln's autocrat

[RJNorton]

Eva, it's given the lowest possible grade (E) which means "a quote which is probably not authentic."

In A. Lincoln: Prairie Lawyer, John J. Duff writes:

When Lincoln went to the Burnet House to confer with his fellow counsel, he was treated in a most discourteous manner. Stanton, who arrogated to himself the role of chief counsel, looked down his nose at the rumpled Midwestern lawyer, whom he treated as a person of no importance. Upon learning that Lincoln had been retained principally to make the closing argument, Stanton flew into a rage, and with characteristic hauteur, dismissed him scornfully as "that long armed baboon." Himself, a superlative trial advocate, asthmatic, ill-tempered Stanton did not fancy the prospect of relinquishing what he considered to be his definite prerogative, in favor of any backwoods lawyer from Illinois. To the ultimatum, "If that giraffe appears in the case, I will throw up my brief and leave," the Manny interests reluctantly bowed, and Lincoln was accordingly advised that his services would no longer be required."