Lincoln's Diplomacy

[LincolnToddFan]

A couple of weeks ago I finished up "Lincoln In The World: The Making Of a Statesman And The Dawn Of American Power" by Kevin Peraino. It's a relatively new release (October 2013) and it's an interesting look at an area of the Lincoln presidency that hasn't had that much written about it so far...his evolution as a foreign policy president, how he was viewed on the world stage both during the Civil War and the aftermath of his death, and also what America and the world might have looked forward to in Lincolnian foreign policy during his second term in office. It's interesting food for thought, for sure.

Don, I am putting your book on my MUST READ list, am saving it into my phone right now in fact-

[Don1946]

(04-11-2014 10:45 AM)Liz Rosenthal Wrote:  ... he also had the domestic front to consider, too, including the Union's overall poor showing militarily thus far, and the very basic reason for issuing the Proclamation - that it struck the first real blow against slavery in a Constitutional way.

Also, shouldn't Lincoln get credit for valuing Seward's services? He clearly made a point of keeping the most talented people in his Administration. If he had had serious concerns about the overall tenor of Seward's diplomatic strategy, I'm sure he would have tried to steer things on a different course, and/or persuaded Seward to do so. We know Lincoln was not a micro-manager, except where his generals failed him. Even FDR, a truly activist president but himself not a micro-manager, knew how to get the most and best out of his cabinet members and other high-level Administration officials. I would say that that that's just as important as the Chief Executive taking the reins himself.

I see two men working out parallel domestic and foreign policies and the EP is an unusually good example of one decree loaded with promise and problems on both fronts. In January 1862 Lincoln had a very revealing private discussion with Carl Schurz, who was begging Seward and Lincoln to enlist the liberal public support of Europe in the Union cause by making it a war against slavery and in support of republican ideals generally. No European power would dare take the side of the South if that meant protecting slavery. Lincoln seemed to understand and accept Schurz's argument, but he told Schurz that the public was not ready yet. He even encouraged Schurz to help prepare the public mind by arousing support for emancipation. Schurz was very impressed and I think surprised by Lincoln's grasp of matters.

I agree with Liz on giving Lincoln credit. He was, I believe was both magnanimous and savvy to select his former rival, Seward. Seward was worldly, well-traveled, with good experience on the Senate foreign relations committee, and he knew Washington and Congress. Much is made of the April 1 (1861) memo Seward wrote urging foreign war as a remedy to internal divisions, but Lincoln seemed fully in support of Seward's hard-power foreign policy from then on. From various anecdotes told by those who saw the two men working together, I think they had an unusually good relationship and friendship ... especially when compared to some of the other more rancorous conflicts going on inside the Lincoln White House.

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(04-11-2014 08:58 PM)LincolnToddFan Wrote:  A couple of weeks ago I finished up "Lincoln In The World: The Making Of a Statesman And The Dawn Of American Power" by Kevin Peraino. It's a relatively new release (October 2013) and it's an interesting look at an area of the Lincoln presidency that hasn't had that much written about it so far...his evolution as a foreign policy president, how he was viewed on the world stage both during the Civil War and the aftermath of his death, and also what America and the world might have looked forward to in Lincolnian foreign policy during his second term in office. It's interesting food for thought, for sure.

Don, I am putting your book on my MUST READ list, am saving it into my phone right now in fact-

Thanks. My book will be out in early December, in time for Christmas. I've been hunkered down all summer doing the last round of edits and only now am returning to this interesting discussion. Here is the Amazon link, if I may: http://www.amazon.com/The-Cause-All-Nati...0465029671

Meanwhile, I highly recommend Kevin Periano's book, which does a masterful job relating Lincoln to people and ideas in the larger world. It is a good read too. He is a journalist who knows how to tell a story.

[LincolnToddFan]

Thanks Don, and congratulations. I can't wait to read it!

[RJNorton]

Don, kudos on your book! That's wonderful.