Lincoln's autocrat

[Thomas Thorne]

Since I just retired, I will have more time to read interesting books such as this.

One of the things which critics of Stanton ascribe to him is an inordinate ambition. Yet he never sought political office and his personality and temperament seemed ill fit for politics. We know he sought appointment to the Supreme Court and would have preferred the Chief Justiceship after Taney died but Lincoln deemed him too valuable in the War office.

If I were the Stanton of legend, i would have preferred having a ringside side to winning the war and shaping Reconstruction policy than dealing with the often arcane constitutional jurisprudence that would have gladdened the heart of the lawyer within him but would seem to be a less than satisfactory outlet for his demonic energies.

What would the world of the Lincoln assassination be like without Edwin M Stanton?

Tom the Retired Thorne