Sounds like the Devil is attempting to point a finger at a sinner to me.
The above link goes to the item below by Walt on the American Civil War Moderated Newsgroup. On Sept 5, 2003 Walt tells that group that, "I can't find any contemporary evidence that Lincoln and Butler even met on the day in question. I have ranted and raved on this subject on another forum, (freerepublic.com) where there are some pretty vociferous neo-rebs, and not a one of them has been able to confirm it either."
Underneath that is a post of August 30, 2003 where GOPcapitalist again tells Walt about the Hay memorandum, which GOPcap cites and quotes, proving beyond a reasonable doubt and to a moral certainty, that Butler had a meeting scheduled with Lincoln for April 11, 1865.
Beneath that I provide the online link for the Hay memo in the Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, with a cut and paste of the precise entry therein.
From: WalterM140 (walterm140@aol.com)
Subject: Re: Did Lincoln ever publicly back away from Colonization?
View: Complete Thread (17 articles)
Original Format Newsgroups: soc.history.war.us-civil-war
Date: 2003-09-05 06:05:06 PST
He even believed, as he told Butler, that it would be best for everybody if all of the Negroes in the country could be shiped to some fertile place, with a pleasant climate, which they could have for their own. The President asked Butler if he thought it would be too difficult for the Navy to carry out such an evacuation. Calling at the White House two days later, Butler said he thought "exporting" the Negro population would not be possible. Even if every seaworthy naval and merchant vessel owned by the United States were used - - he did not think Negroes could be transported to the nearest place he thought fit for their habitation - - Santo Domingo - as rapidly as colored children would be born. Lincoln admitted that this estimate was probably correct and asked Butler if he had any other idea of what could be done with Negro soldiers. He did. He would like to take them to the Isthmus of Darien (Panama) and dig the ship canal the United States had long wanted to construct there. - - -
I can't find any contemporary evidence that Lincoln and Butler even met on the day in question. I have ranted and raved on this subject on another forum, (freerepublic.com) where there are some pretty vociferous neo-rebs, and not a one of them has been able to confirm it either. For this supposed meeting to come to light decades later, and when of course Lincoln was not around to refute or give his side, it's just all too fishy.
President Lincoln well knew that his 1862 overtures regarding voluntary colonization had been rebuffed on all sides. He -never- suggested that anyone be forced out of the country. This supposed conversation with Butler just makes no sense.
Walt
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To: WhiskeyPapa
The quote often provided by the neo-rebs to support this contention directed Butler to meet with a congressional committee, not the president.
False. It is a memo from John Hay, Lincoln's personal secretary, scheduling an appointment between Lincoln and Butler.
"Apr. 10. To Benjamin F. Butler, Hay for Lincoln, making appointment for ``tomorrow,''" - Routine Correspondences for 1865, listed on p. 588 of the Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, Vol. 8, ed. Roy Basler
400 posted on 08/30/2003 6:08 PM CDT by GOPcapitalist
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Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, Roy P. Basler
APPENDIX II
Page 588
[1865]
Apr. 10. To Benjamin F. Butler, Hay for Lincoln, making appointment for ``tomorrow,'' ALS, DLC-Butler Papers