Modern research is a bit high-falutin' a term for it.
"Anti-Lincoln propaganda" might be more accurate.
The fact is that Lincoln was as much a loyal family-man as anyone of his time, or of ours for that matter.
As for allegations of "bi-polar", the evidence shows that when times were worst, Lincoln obviously felt bad.
When events improved, so did Lincoln's outlook.
So that's not "bi-polar", that's being a normal human being.
Finally, the smartest, most experienced man in Lincoln's cabinet was William Seward, Secretary of State.
After an initial rough go, where Seward's views clashed with Lincoln's, Seward reported to friends that Lincoln was "the best among us".
Seward was correct, the rest is nonsense.
Not just Seward. Lincoln appointed all his leading competitors for the Republican nomination to his Cabinet, uniquely AFAIK in American history.
For a man who cannot acquire the respect of those who viewed themselves as his peers, and often, initially, as his superiors, this is a recipe for discord and disaster.
However, with the sole exception of Chase, who was unable to get past his ambition to be President, they all became loyal supporters of Lincoln.
For a modern-day equivalent, imagine a Romney administration with Santorum, Bachman, Gingrich and Perry as leading officials. Yikes!
One might want to check the date of birth of Lincoln’s eldest son and compare that to the date of Lincoln’s marriage....