It’s a Free Country. For How Much Longer?

[Rob Wick]

David,

Try to follow me here. Your main argument was that Parker was incorrect when he wrote that "Lincoln erred on the side of governmental strength, but he knew that motives and endgames were important. He warned his generals against revenge ('blood cannot restore blood') and insisted that 'as soon as the Rebel armies laid down their arms,' they should immediately be 'guaranteed all their rights as citizens of a common country.'”

I said there was nothing wrong with Parker's point of view, which merely meant that Lincoln was willing to use extralegal force if needed but preferred not to and would likely have set limits on its use; hence, Parker's idiom "erred on the side of governmental strength."

I then proffered a definition of "erred on the side" without any other words. You attempted to define "err on the side of caution," which neither Parker nor I ever wrote. Hence, your attempt at definition was the apple to my orange of trying to define "erred on the side."

Quote:The problem is that the book reviewer did not make reference to this action taken by President Lincoln.

Really? And what do you call "erred on the side of governmental strength," then?

Best
Rob