Lincoln: President-Elect: Abraham Lincoln and the Great Secession Winter 1860-1861
Venerated author Anton Chekhov once wrote, “Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.” Thus each page of Harold Holzer’s magisterial new contribution to Lincoln literature, Lincoln: President-Elect, the great tale of what happened between November 1860 and March 1861, breathes to life, reflecting the palpable tenor of the times. In this year of widely anticipated Lincoln books, Holzer’s sequel to his Lincoln Prize-winning Lincoln at Cooper Union is not only more than welcome, it proves to be a formidable sequel, well worth the wait. Combing a vast trove of newspaper sources, including critical commentary and recollections by Lincoln’s contemporaries, Holzer paints a picture of the interregnum period that covers fresh ground and sheds new light onto how Lincoln managed himself as well as others during this crucial period in American history. Lincoln, more than any other singular person, shaped this period and ultimately his administration and the course of the nation by being the consummate 19th-century multitasker. He dealt with hordes of office seekers, deftly controlling the selection process for prospective cabinet members, replying to both fan and, in some cases, hate mail (though much of that was filtered by personal secretary John G. Nicolay), writing his First Inaugural Address, and handling the barrage of press accounts from all quarters, North and South, Democratic and Republican. From this Holzer creates a story combining sublime pathos and humor, hallmarks of the Lincoln persona. Touching scenes include his correspondence and meeting with best friend and fellow Kentuckian Joshua Speed, letters exchanged between Lincoln and former congressional colleague and future Vice-President of the Confederacy Georgian Alexander Stephens and a visit to his step-mother Sarah Bush Johnson Lincoln. The raconteur of whimsical stories emerges as well as Lincoln uses humor to deflect all manner of stinging condemnations and threats against his life. Humor, too, is provided by the numerous buffoons who cajoled their way into meeting Lincoln, be it in the Illinois State House or during the Presidential journey from Springfield to Washington, D.C. Color abounds in this book. No matter the mood, though, Holzer’s Lincoln remains firm and steadfast with a steely eye to his pre-inaugural position on limiting of the extension of slavery. While others (including 19th-century peers as well as previous biographers) may have seen Lincoln during this period as waffling, he never does in this narrative. Compromise of the 1860 Republican platform is nowhere near a consideration of the President-elect even in the face of falsely presumed inactivity. Even as Lincoln wearies as his train chugs east his resolve never fails and his sense of purpose only grows. But it is not only Lincoln who springs to life on these pages. The cast of additional figures is enormous, some familiar, some not, ranging from newspaperman Horace Greeley, Senate Compromiser John J. Crittenden, political conniver Thurlow Weed, “journalist-in-residence” Henry Villard and assorted members of the Hanks clan, among many others. Here they are an active part of the story, not simply backdrop material. Their presence fleshes out the complexities of the time and provides richness and depth, making the picture complete. If in this bicentennial year of Lincoln’s birth, as well as that of another historical inauguration, you find your Lincoln library growing be sure Lincoln President-Elect finds its way to your bookshelves. Reviewer: James A. Percoco teaches U.S. and Applied History at West Springfield High School in Springfield, Va. He is author of A Passion for the Past: Creative Teaching of U.S. History and Divided We Stand: Teaching About Conflict in U.S. History. Percoco is a USA TODAY All-USA teacher and is an adjunct professor in the School of Education at American University where he serves as History Educator-in-Residence.
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Illustrated, notes, 623 pp., 2008. Simon & Schuster 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020, $30 plus shipping.