I think not. In both the Hodges letter you provide and the Conkling letter I quote, Lincoln states that the EP WAS constitutional.
Even if you could torture the Hodges letter into meaning that "Lincoln thought the EP unconstiutional", the Conkling letter was conveniently ignored by you -- so you could lie and distort the record.
Walt
Tortured? Just what part of "I felt that measures, otherwise unconstitutional, might become lawful" don't you understand?
Besides, the Conklin letter was dated 24 Aug 1863, while the letter to Hodges was 4 Apr 1864, some 8 months later. Distort the record? Lincoln clarified it.