President Lincoln vignettes in F.B. Carpenter's "Six Months at the White House"

[David Lockmiller]

(05-18-2018 10:19 AM)David Lockmiller Wrote:  The following is an account of a fascinating and very important piece of President Abraham Lincoln and American history that took place on the night before President Lincoln took the oath of office for his second term as President of the United States and gave his memorable and inspiring second inaugural address to the nation. I am sure that many members of the Lincoln Symposium are aware already of this story, especially those that share my opinion regarding the quality of F. B. Carpenter's book.

"On the night of the 3rd of March, the Secretary of War, with others of the Cabinet, were in the company of the President, at the Capitol, awaiting the passage of the final bills of Congress . . . when the telegram from Grant was received, saying that Lee had asked an interview with reference to peace. Mr. Lincoln was elated, and the kindness of his heart was manifest in intimations of favorable terms to be granted to the conquered rebels.

"Stanton listened in silence, restraining his emotion, but at length the tide burst forth. 'Mr. President,' said he, 'tomorrow is inauguration day. If you are not to be the President of an obedient and united people, you had better not be inaugurated. Your work is already done, if any other authority than yours is for one moment to be recognized, or any terms made that do not signify you are the supreme head of the nation. If generals in the field are to negotiate peace, or any other chief magistrate is to be acknowledged on this continent, then you are not needed, and you had better not take the oath of office.'

"'Stanton, you are right!' said the President, his whole tone changing. 'Let me have a pen.'

"Mr. Lincoln sat down at the table, and wrote as follows: --

"'The President directs me to say to you that he wishes you to have no conference with General Lee, unless it be for capitulation of Lee's army, or on some minor or purely military matter. He instructs me to say that you are not to decide, discuss, or confer upon any political question. Such questions the President holds in his own hands, and will submit them to no military conferences or conventions. In the mean time you are to press to the utmost your military advantages.'

"The President read over what he had written, and then said: --

"Now Stanton, date and sign this paper, and send it to Grant. We'll see about this peace business.'

"The duty was discharged only too gladly by the energetic and far-sighted Secretary; with what effect and renown the country knows full well." * Boston Commonwealth


Francis Carpenter, Six Months at the White House, p. 265 - 267.

Who is ready for one President Lincoln controversy and then another earlier President Lincoln controversy? The first controversy is as follows:

On May 30, 2018, at 8:42 AM, David Lockmiller <davidlincoln@msn.com> wrote:

Dear Mr. Stahr:

You wrote: “Do you really think Stanton, speaking to Lincoln, with half a dozen others standing round, said “you had better not be inaugurated?” Do you really think Lincoln, with half a dozen others around, said “Stanton, you are right!”

I do think that if Stanton saw that Lincoln was being carried away in the elation of the moment that peace after 4 years of war for the nation was at hand, and Stanton also realized the importance of the fact that in our form of democracy that the military could not be placed in the position of deciding political questions regarding the terms of peace. Thus, President Lincoln’s alleged response would be in keeping with this hypothesis: “Stanton, you are right!” Stanton was well known for being blunt!

I hate to lose any correct moments in President Lincoln history. And, this moment also shines well for Stanton, if true. I make contributions to the Lincoln Symposium and I compared thereon this possible moment in history to Seward calling for delay in the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation until AFTER a Union victory.

Yours truly,
David Lockmiller


From: Walter Stahr [mailto:wbstahr@yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2018 8:10 AM
To: davidlincoln@msn.com
Subject: Re: Web Site Message

Dear Mr. Lockmiller:

You are right, I do not believe Carpenter on this point. I wish he had cited the precise DATE of the article in the Boston Commonwealth, it is not available online, and I do not see the language quoted in other places until after Stanton’s death in 1869. At that point of course the source could be Carpenter not the Commonwealth.

But in general I put this in the category of “colorful stories of Lincoln after Lincoln’s death.” Akin to the stories about Stanton’s resignation, which I deal with a few pages later in the book. Do you really think Stanton, speaking to Lincoln, with half a dozen others standing round, said “you had better not be inaugurated?” Do you really think Lincoln, with half a dozen others around, said “Stanton, you are right!”

I am not 100% sure of course, I was not there. But I tried to stick to what I knew; perhaps I should not have said that Stanton carried Grant’s message to Lincoln; because for all I know Lincoln was in the War Department that night. That they worked together on the response is clear, because the original document has BOTH their handwriting on it, Lincoln and Stanton.

Regards, Walter Stahr





On May 29, 2018, at 7:59 PM, David Lockmiller <noreply@authorbyteshosting.com> wrote:

Name
David Lockmiller
Email
davidlincoln@msn.com

Message
You wrote in your book "Stanton" at page 399: "Lee suggested that he and Grant should meet to explore the possibility of such peace terms. Stanton carried Grant's message to Lincoln, and together the two men drafted the response. 'The President directs me to say,' Lincoln wrote in Stanton's voice . . . ."

I assume that you are aware of a markedly different treatment of the same set of events in F. B. Carpenter's book, "Six Months At The White House" written in 1879 at pages 265 - 279.

"On the night of the 3rd of March, the Secretary of War, with others of the Cabinet, were in the company of the President, at the Capitol, awaiting the passage of the final bills of Congress . . . when the telegram from Grant was received, saying that Lee had asked an interview with reference to peace. Mr. Lincoln was elated, and the kindness of his heart was manifest in intimations of favorable terms to be granted to the conquered rebels.

"Stanton listened in silence, restraining his emotion, but at length the tide burst forth. 'Mr. President,' said he, 'tomorrow is inauguration day. If you are not to be the President of an obedient and united people, you had better not be inaugurated. Your work is already done, if any other authority than yours is for one moment to be recognized, or any terms made that do not signify you are the supreme head of the nation. If generals in the field are to negotiate peace, or any other chief magistrate is to be acknowledged on this continent, then you are not needed, and you had better not take the oath of office.'

"'Stanton, you are right!' said the President, his whole tone changing. 'Let me have a pen.'

"Mr. Lincoln sat down at the table, and wrote as follows: --

The source for the story was noted by Carpenter as the Boston Commonwealth.

I would conclude that do you not agree with what was written in the Boston Commonwealth article. Can you inform me as to the basis for your rejection of Carpenter's version of events on the night of March 3, 1865?

Thank you,
David Lockmiller