Au contraire! One party to the converstaion has documented it in his book. He also documents in another book the summons to Washington to meet Lincoln, as does Hay for 11 Apr 1865 @ 09:00.
Lincoln is on record supporting colonization (Mitchell et al), and his AG documents that Lincoln requested Mitchell to remain on the payrolls.
In a court of law the testimony of one eyewitness is admissable.
Au contraire! One party to the converstaion has documented it in his book. He also documents in another book the summons to Washington to meet Lincoln, as does Hay for 11 Apr 1865 @ 09:00.
What President Lincoln and Butler discussed is lost to us. There were only two people present; one of them died 4 days later. You cant build an interpretation on that. Any claim you had for fairness or credibility is out the window on this, if nothing else.
What Butler alleged in 1892 that President Lincoln said in 1865 flies in the faith of many statements of the president's that we -can- confirm, like this:
Executive Mansion,
Washington, February 18. 1864.
Yours of the 12th was received yesterday. If I were to judge from the letter, without any external knowledge, I should suppose that all the colored people South of Washington were struggling to get to Massachusetts; that Massachusetts was anxious to receive and retain the whole of them as permament citizens; and that the United States Government here was interposing and preventing this. But I suppose these are neither really the facts, nor meant to be asserted as true by you. Coming down to what I suppose to be the real facts, you are engaged in trying to raise colored troops for the U. S. and wish to take recruits from Virginia, through Washington, to Massachusetts for that object; and the loyal Governor of Virginia, also trying to raise troops for us, objects to you taking his material away; while we, having to care for all, and being responsible alike to all, have to do as much for him, as we would have to do for you, if he was, by our authority, taking men from Massachusetts to fill up Virginia regiments. No more than this has been intended by me; nor, as I think, by the Secretary of War. There may have been some abuses of this, as a rule, which, if known, should be prevented in future.
If, however, it be really true that Massachusetts wishes to afford a permanent home within her borders, for all, or even a large number of colored persons who will come to her, I shall be only too glad to know it. It would give relief in a very difficult point; and I would not for a moment hinder from going, any person who is free by the terms of the proclamation or any of the acts of Congress."
A. Lincoln
Walt
Executive Mansion
Washington, October 10, 1864
Hon Henry W. Hoffman
My dear sir:
A convention of Maryland has framed a new constitution for the state; a public meeting is called for this evening, in Baltimore, to aid in securing its ratification by the people; and you ask a word from me, for the occasion.
I presume the only feature of the instrument about which there is a serious controversy, is that which provides for the extinction of slavery. It needs not be a secret, and I presume it is no secret, that I wish success to this provision. I wish all men to be free. I wish the material prosperity of the already free which I feel sure the extinction of slavery would bring. I wish to see, in process of disappearing, that only thing which could ever bring this nation to civil war. I attempt no argument. Argument upon the question is already exhausted by the abler, better informed, and more immediately interested sons of Maryland herself. I shall only add that I shall be gratified exceedingly if the good people of the State shall, by their votes, ratify the new constitution.
Yours truly
A. Lincoln
President Lincoln was more than willing for blacks to share in the great American adventure.
He "sloughed off" the idea of colonization and worked for full rights for blacks.
Walt