[Nowhere Man]

I’m just saying that in my eyes, Lincoln was so bad, he makes Jimmy Carter look good. Way I see it, Lincoln is just a whiny power grabber like Woodrow Wilson was and Obama is today. Jimmy Carter is a fool, I’d even take a fool over a power grabber, that’s my point. A nation can survive it’s fools. That’s said, I’d even vote for Yogi Bear, Biggie Rat or Popeye over Lincoln.

[x]

If you look at Lincoln's earlier record he was for what in retrospect is a modest expansion of government -- a protective tariff, aid for railroad, road, and canal construction, national banks -- but not for restrictions on individual liberties or for a powerful presidency.

He did what any other head of state would do when faced with the situation of 1861. He did what Jefferson Davis did in the Confederacy. Davis and his crew wanted as much of the US as they could tear away. To be sure they didn't want free states and territories, but they favored doing any damage to the US that they could in hopes that it would further their cause.

So Lincoln supported some temporary wartime restrictions on liberty -- just as Davis did. Just as other war time presidents did. And many of those who were affected were themselves militant supporters of the other side who would do any damage they could to get what they wanted.