Tarbell on Otto Eisenschiml

[John Stanton]

Good debate! In the second example, Stanton did not comply with "Lincoln's plan", as a result - Lincoln was dead.
Lincoln wanted Eckert to accompany him to the theater, but Stanton needed Eckert as a telegraph operator, so , Stanton said that he needed him for a very important project (- to arrest Thompson). But he couldn't tell Lincoln that - he was being devious. In the mean time, Thompson escaped back into Canada. Stanton's plan fell apart -Thompson was gone, so he and Eckert went home to their families.
My whole point is that he acted contrary to his chief, in order to accomplish a personal plan, which he was DIRECTED to abandon.
Lincoln and Stanton spent the afternoon together in the War Dept. Wouldn't it have been "faultless logic" to discuss the issue with your boss? No,he purpously developed a scheme, and withheld the details from Lincoln, knowing that Lincoln would disapprove it.
Lincoln's "faulty logic" was shared with a "trusted" Judge. How faulty could it have been? Stanton did not merely delay the Order, he issued his own order not to comply". Lincoln's, thoughts were to get the Troops under control and not allow pockets of the war to continue. JOHN