You reminded me of a letter I found last night in the Official Records. Apparently prisoners such as Baltimore newspaper editor Frank Key Howard were not even allowed to call Lincoln a dictator in their private mail.
FORT LAFAYETTE, New York Harbor, October 22, 1861.
Lieutenant Colonel M. BURKE,
Commanding Forts Hamilton and Lafayette.
COLONEL: On looking over the letters written by the prisoners confined at this post I found one from F. Key Howard, of Baltimore, in which speaking of the President of the United States he made use of the expression "vulgar dictator." I returned the letter to him with notice that if he was not more respectful in his letters it would be my duty to stop his correspondence.
Hoping you will approve my action, I remain, with respect, your obedient servant,
CHAS. O. WOOD
George Orwell probably picked up some ideas from Lincoln for his novel "1984." Orwell could have reset his novel in America and named it, "1864" (or "Big Stovepipe Hat is Watching You").
LOL!
Yes, and the Gettysburg Address would have been an example of 'newspeak'.