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Wow. I've been wanting to talk to this guy for a while. Like many others, I do not believe Lincoln was a great man, or a great president. Lincoln was a deeply troubled man who made many misjudgements and was NOT the 'Great Emancipator" he is portrayed to be..
History is written by the victors, and in this case its greatly incorrect.
First, Why did you support the War of Northern Aggression? The South clearly could have spun off and become its own nation without the North. It would have been better for the nation to split then to reunite then to fight a war as wounds have never healed in some areas of this nation, even today.
I agree with @gno about #3, why did you Support Sherman's March to the Sea? Even though Lee at could have easily stormed and torched Washington, but was held back and requested not to by Davis.
Second, Did you like the play (Our American Cousin) Lincoln? -sorry guys, I have ALWAYS wanted to ask that one...
Third, what do you think of our current president, Barack Obama? Even though you stated in 1858:
"I will say, then, that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races—that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I, as much as any other man, am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race.—Abraham Lincoln, Speech at Charleston, 111., Sept. 18, 1858."
I have a few other questions, but will leave them for others more qualified..
Source(s):
http://books.google.com/books?id=gShCAAAAIAAJ&lpg=PA306&ots=v1e3xD8...
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Along those lines, one specific question that is not dealt with in the pop culture coverage of LIncoln is: What were Lincoln's reasons for issuing a Presidential Warrant to Arrest Chief Justice Roger B. Taney?
Related question: What was in the letter Lincoln sent to Justice Taney following his decision in the Merriman case. The letter has never been found and Taney told others, "The government had considered the possibility of arresting him."
Source(s):
LewRockwell.com:
Lincoln’s Presidential Warrant to Arrest Chief Justice Roger B. Taney -- Lincoln apologists try to deny his vicious order, but they cannot, says Charles Adams.
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig2/adams3.html
The King Lincoln Archive at Lew Rockwell.com
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig2/lincoln-arch.html
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But here they are anyway:
Dear Mr. Ghost President Lincoln,
1.) Even though you lived under constant threat of assassination, and your wife had premonitions of it often, why did you so often walk around the White House without a guard? Why not protect yourself more? Did you doubt or underestimate your own importance to the nation?
2.) Do you still support your decision in 1864 to advise Grant to advance with his tactics, knowing that it would mean an extremely high casualty rate for Union troops? Were there any alternatives you wished you had tried?
3.) Do you regret authorizing and supporting "Sherman's March to the Sea"? Was it worth the price our nation would pay (fiscally and otherwise) to rebuild the wake of destruction?
4.) If you were in President Obama's shoes right now, what programs and policies would you enact to help our nation?
5.) You often called on the divine in many of your speeches. To what extent do you believe there should be a separation of church and state?
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Is that you haunting the White House? Do you still inhabit your bedroom?
Did you feel you had to stick around and finish your term with all the unfinished business of the war?
Did it upset you when Harry Truman did an overhaul of the White House and rebuilt many of your rooms?
http://bp1.blogger.com/_Dvm4D4Y0hjQ/SJUVJ6QrZCI/AAAAAAAAADM/Zb3KrG1YR-M/s400/ghosts.jpg
Source(s):
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/history/us/monuments/whitehouse/
http://www.history.com/content/halloween/historic-haunts
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I see this similarity between Lincoln and Bush Jr., both presidents with public opinion divided, 50% for and 50% against, took us to war.
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Answered Question
M$1
May 27, 2009 09:46 AM
Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth President of the United States. What would you ask him?
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| May 27, 2009 11:37 PM |
History is written by the victors, and in this case its greatly incorrect.
First, Why did you support the War of Northern Aggression? The South clearly could have spun off and become its own nation without the North. It would have been better for the nation to split then to reunite then to fight a war as wounds have never healed in some areas of this nation, even today.
I agree with @gno about #3, why did you Support Sherman's March to the Sea? Even though Lee at could have easily stormed and torched Washington, but was held back and requested not to by Davis.
Second, Did you like the play (Our American Cousin) Lincoln? -sorry guys, I have ALWAYS wanted to ask that one...
Third, what do you think of our current president, Barack Obama? Even though you stated in 1858:
"I will say, then, that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races—that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I, as much as any other man, am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race.—Abraham Lincoln, Speech at Charleston, 111., Sept. 18, 1858."
I have a few other questions, but will leave them for others more qualified..
Source(s):
http://books.google.com/books?id=gShCAAAAIAAJ&lpg=PA306&ots=v1e3xD8...
| Asker's Rating: |
• I select this answer, not because I agree with the conclusions of the questioner, but because I myself would like to hear President Lincoln's answers to these questions.
We can not judge a person in relationship to those values that we hold now, a person must be judged against the values that society held during their time on this earth. So we can compare Washington to Jefferson, and see that while Washington freed his slaves at his death, thus incurring the wrath of his fellow slave owners, Jefferson did not. So who was the better man? In my judgment, it was Washington.
We can not judge a person in relationship to those values that we hold now, a person must be judged against the values that society held during their time on this earth. So we can compare Washington to Jefferson, and see that while Washington freed his slaves at his death, thus incurring the wrath of his fellow slave owners, Jefferson did not. So who was the better man? In my judgment, it was Washington.
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Other Answers (6)
May 27, 2009 01:58 PM
There are a number of scholars and history buffs, who do not believe Lincoln was the great man generally portrayed in most history books. In fact, they believe Lincoln was a proponent of "The American System", which at its core was a massive consolidation of power in the hands of a central government. These powers Lincoln sought were inimical to the Constitution of the founders. In other words, Lincoln was no hero for liberty, freedom, and the rule of law. Along those lines, one specific question that is not dealt with in the pop culture coverage of LIncoln is: What were Lincoln's reasons for issuing a Presidential Warrant to Arrest Chief Justice Roger B. Taney?
Related question: What was in the letter Lincoln sent to Justice Taney following his decision in the Merriman case. The letter has never been found and Taney told others, "The government had considered the possibility of arresting him."
Source(s):
LewRockwell.com:
Lincoln’s Presidential Warrant to Arrest Chief Justice Roger B. Taney -- Lincoln apologists try to deny his vicious order, but they cannot, says Charles Adams.
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig2/adams3.html
The King Lincoln Archive at Lew Rockwell.com
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig2/lincoln-arch.html
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May 27, 2009 02:59 PM
Lew Rockwell as a source, eh? Yikes. Ok, so you're living in fear of Commies taking over the world. And now you assert that Pres. Lincoln was trying to do just that. Ok, well let's address those charges then, I say.
1.) "Lincoln was a proponent of 'The American System', which at its core was a massive consolidation of power in the hands of a central government."
Yes, the "American System" was the core belief system of the Whig Party - which became the Republican Party. It is a system that encouraged:
-high tariffs on imported goods to protect US businesses
-Improvements to the country's infrastructure - things like road building (a la The New Deal)
-a National Bank (ok, this WAS a bad idea)
These Whig Party beliefs - in use since 1815 - were widely heralded by patriots such as John Quincy Adams, Henry Pool, and Alexander Hamilton. Opposing the American System? Such "patriots" as Presidents Jackson (D), Van Buren (D), Polk(D), Pierce(D), and Buchanan(D)- some of the nation's worst presidents who drove the country to the brink of Civil War, and nearly caused the ship of state to sink altogether. Are you surprised that Lincoln and his Republican Party supported an opposing viewpoint to the Democrats? And that they built off of an economic legacy that had previously served the country well - and that to THIS DAY, continues to save us from economic depressions?
2.) "Lincoln was no hero for liberty freedom, and the rule of law"
Au contraire! Lincoln was very much in favor of rule of law - that is why he worked so tirelessly to preserve a Union that the previous several presidents had allowed to dissolve - all laissez-faire Democrats. And seeing as he was the carrier of the Emancipation Proclamation, it's a little far-fetched to call him not in favor of freedom.
Plus, you may state that someone "shouldn't" be a hero, but you cannot empirically state that he was NO hero. That's up to the masses of people all over the world throughout history who have regarded him as such.
3.) "What were Lincoln's reasons for issuing a Presidential Warrant to Arrest Chief Justice Roger B. Taney?"
First, you assert as plain fact that there was a warrant for Justice Taney. No one knows whether this was literally true, or whether the r-u-m-o-r was caused by speculative talk from back in the day.
But let's assume there WAS a warrant for Justice Taney - can you really be so surprised? This is the Justice - an extreme Southern sympathizer who favored secession - who conspired with President Buchanan to produce the Dred Scott decision as a means of nullifying the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Illegally legislating from the bench, and allowing outside influences to coerce his decision.
That alone was treason.
But after that, when President Lincoln suspended habeas corpus in Maryland in early months of the war, pro-Confederate Justice Taney tried to override Lincoln's presidential power, ruling that no president had the power. And thus delivering an advantage to Confederate troops.
Again, arguments can easily be made for that to be treasonous. Although I'm not sure if it truly was or wasn't treason on Taney's part, I think the most telling part of this history is that the warrant was recalled. So even if Lincoln did see Taney as a corrupt and divisive Judge working to tear the nation apart during a time of war - he did not act on it.
But if the warrant did exist, I guess this would be a good question to ask Lincoln.
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1.) "Lincoln was a proponent of 'The American System', which at its core was a massive consolidation of power in the hands of a central government."
Yes, the "American System" was the core belief system of the Whig Party - which became the Republican Party. It is a system that encouraged:
-high tariffs on imported goods to protect US businesses
-Improvements to the country's infrastructure - things like road building (a la The New Deal)
-a National Bank (ok, this WAS a bad idea)
These Whig Party beliefs - in use since 1815 - were widely heralded by patriots such as John Quincy Adams, Henry Pool, and Alexander Hamilton. Opposing the American System? Such "patriots" as Presidents Jackson (D), Van Buren (D), Polk(D), Pierce(D), and Buchanan(D)- some of the nation's worst presidents who drove the country to the brink of Civil War, and nearly caused the ship of state to sink altogether. Are you surprised that Lincoln and his Republican Party supported an opposing viewpoint to the Democrats? And that they built off of an economic legacy that had previously served the country well - and that to THIS DAY, continues to save us from economic depressions?
2.) "Lincoln was no hero for liberty freedom, and the rule of law"
Au contraire! Lincoln was very much in favor of rule of law - that is why he worked so tirelessly to preserve a Union that the previous several presidents had allowed to dissolve - all laissez-faire Democrats. And seeing as he was the carrier of the Emancipation Proclamation, it's a little far-fetched to call him not in favor of freedom.
Plus, you may state that someone "shouldn't" be a hero, but you cannot empirically state that he was NO hero. That's up to the masses of people all over the world throughout history who have regarded him as such.
3.) "What were Lincoln's reasons for issuing a Presidential Warrant to Arrest Chief Justice Roger B. Taney?"
First, you assert as plain fact that there was a warrant for Justice Taney. No one knows whether this was literally true, or whether the r-u-m-o-r was caused by speculative talk from back in the day.
But let's assume there WAS a warrant for Justice Taney - can you really be so surprised? This is the Justice - an extreme Southern sympathizer who favored secession - who conspired with President Buchanan to produce the Dred Scott decision as a means of nullifying the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Illegally legislating from the bench, and allowing outside influences to coerce his decision.
That alone was treason.
But after that, when President Lincoln suspended habeas corpus in Maryland in early months of the war, pro-Confederate Justice Taney tried to override Lincoln's presidential power, ruling that no president had the power. And thus delivering an advantage to Confederate troops.
Again, arguments can easily be made for that to be treasonous. Although I'm not sure if it truly was or wasn't treason on Taney's part, I think the most telling part of this history is that the warrant was recalled. So even if Lincoln did see Taney as a corrupt and divisive Judge working to tear the nation apart during a time of war - he did not act on it.
But if the warrant did exist, I guess this would be a good question to ask Lincoln.
May 27, 2009 11:56 PM
Yeah, it's definitely one of history's mysteries. It doesn't make my short list of curiosities, but if I had unlimited time...it'd be worth asking! I think I could pick Lincoln's brain (sorry - bad choice of words) for hours and hours.
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May 27, 2009 03:20 PM
Lincoln is a tough one - his life has been so thoroughly examined that it leaves few questions. We even knew how he felt about the possibility of assassination! And somehow all remaining questions seem simple and inadequate. But here they are anyway:
Dear Mr. Ghost President Lincoln,
1.) Even though you lived under constant threat of assassination, and your wife had premonitions of it often, why did you so often walk around the White House without a guard? Why not protect yourself more? Did you doubt or underestimate your own importance to the nation?
2.) Do you still support your decision in 1864 to advise Grant to advance with his tactics, knowing that it would mean an extremely high casualty rate for Union troops? Were there any alternatives you wished you had tried?
3.) Do you regret authorizing and supporting "Sherman's March to the Sea"? Was it worth the price our nation would pay (fiscally and otherwise) to rebuild the wake of destruction?
4.) If you were in President Obama's shoes right now, what programs and policies would you enact to help our nation?
5.) You often called on the divine in many of your speeches. To what extent do you believe there should be a separation of church and state?
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May 27, 2009 03:48 PM
Dear Mr. Lincoln, Is that you haunting the White House? Do you still inhabit your bedroom?
Did you feel you had to stick around and finish your term with all the unfinished business of the war?
Did it upset you when Harry Truman did an overhaul of the White House and rebuilt many of your rooms?
Source(s):
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/history/us/monuments/whitehouse/
http://www.history.com/content/halloween/historic-haunts
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May 27, 2009 04:50 PM
Wow everyone knows so much about him. Well, I don't but I would love to know what he thinks about the world that we live in now. I'd like to know that from seeing what our world looks like, if he thinks what ever he himself thought he stood for and if he thinks that everything that he did to make a change whether we think it good or bad, was it worth it all. Sure we can ask why he did the things that he did in the past but I don't think that would change anything because since then, so much has happened. So all we can do is ask for his opinion and how he would want to change things NOW and for what reasons.
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May 28, 2009 04:06 AM
Id like to ask him how sure he felt that history would judge him fairly in the future or if this was even a consideration in his decision bring the country to Civil War. I see this similarity between Lincoln and Bush Jr., both presidents with public opinion divided, 50% for and 50% against, took us to war.
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May 28, 2009 04:57 AM
Actually, I am not sure that when George Bush, Jr. took us to war that we were that divided. Certainly the Congress was not. I will always wonder how different things would have been if, after we captured Saddam Hussain, we had simply folded our tents and left. There might have been a bloody civil war afterwards, but with Saddam sitting in prison along side Noriega, I'm not sure that the American people would have cared.
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But you made me chuckle w/ your 2nd question, because there's been a morbid part of me that considered how he liked the play. I mean, what if he was really INTO the play, wouldn't that be a kick in the teeth? - not only do you have to die, but you also NEVER get to know how the play ends! I think it would irk me enough to warrant a haunting!
The first question was not very well thought out, and I probably should have struck it entirely.. I wanted to put something in the question about the fact that I didn't major in history and therefore probably should not have commented here..
I would like to know what he thinks of Obama though. People tend to forget all that stuff when they claim he was the "Great Emancipator". Yeah true, he signed that piece of paper, but he didn't believe a word of it.
"I say upon this occasion I do not perceive that because the white man is to have the superior position the negro should be denied everything. I do not understand that because I do not want a negro woman for a slave I must necessarily want her for a wife. My understanding is that I can just let her alone."
Emancipation was not about the equality of the races. It was about an end to slavery. But I suspect that from 1858 and 1860, Lincoln himself became further radicalized in spirit if not in speech.