[WhiskeyPapa]

Although Lincoln always held out the hand of forgiveness and conciliation to the rebels...

Provocation of the fall of Sumter, Shenandoah Valley, Camp Chase, Atlanta, New Orleans, Columbia, Charleston.... Hand of forgiveness and conciliation. Right. Sure. Pull the other leg, Walt, it plays Jingle Bells.

All through 1862 President LIncoln suggested compensated emancipation if the rebel states would agree to acknowledge the national authority. Late in 1862 he determined on an emancipation proclamation. Even that- had a provision for slave holders to keep their slaves if, within 100 days the national authority was acknowledged.

In February 1865, President Lincoln suggested that $400,000,000 in bonds be made available to the rebel states if they would acknowledge the national authority.

President Lincoln always held out the hand of concilation and forgiveness to the rebels. The record is plain on that.

Walt

[wasp69]

Walt, you will never get an argument from me that the "best friend to the South" died at the hands of a deranged idiot. There is no doubt in my mind that things would have been much different if President Lincoln had lived. However, giving the examples that I did, that hand of forgiveness and conciliation was more like a saltine to a starving man.