Lincoln's Diplomacy

[Eva Elisabeth]

(01-22-2014 11:10 AM)Don1946 Wrote:  Seward feared an emancipation edict would prompt European intervention and CSA independence. Lincoln thought it would bring the foreign public on the Union's side and make it impossible for any European nation to side with those fighting to preserve slavery.

But Lincoln was absolutely right in this case, wasn't he? The issuing of the Emancipation Declaration indeed changed the Europeans' point of view on the war, Britain's first of all (but the French, German, and Italian as well), and they indeed sided with the Union as soon as they believed the war was about ending slavery. Before they hadn't really understood the reason for war at all, also due to lack of reliable information and insight.
...er, sorry, I should read more carefully, it's exactly what you say in you last passage. Nevertheless it's another point that IMO shows Lincoln's (sense for) foreign diplomacy wasn't as poor as often said.

As for Carl Schurz, during the 1860 campaign he predicted secession of the southern states and reminded of two prior "attempts": "one, the secession of the Southern students from the medical school in Philadelphia, the second, upon the election of Speaker [of the House] Pennington [in 1859], when the South seceeded from Congress, went out, took a drink, and then came back. The third attempt...would be when old Abe [was] elected. They would secede again and this time would take two drinks but come back again."

Thanks so far for all your comments!