William Henry Seward and the Secession Crisis – The Effort to Prevent Civil War
Lawrence M. Denton redefines hagiography in William Henry Seward and the Secession Crisis. With shameless adoration for Seward oozing from every page, it appears that Denton wants readers to join with him in a chorus of “How Great Thou Art.” Denton nearly runs out of adjectives describing Seward: “adroit,” “visionary,” “practical,” “the most popular politician in the North,” “one of the political giants of his day,” “the John F. Kennedy of his generation,” “friendly,” “likable,” “a true charmer,” “a master of small group conversation with debating skills second to none,” “a Washington natural,” “truly an urbane man,” “the most well connected politician,” and on and on. The essential argument in Denton’s book is that if the mighty Seward instead of the bumbling Lincoln had been elected president in 1860, we might have avoided the bloody mess of the Civil War. Denton points to machinations and manipulations among Lincoln supporters in Illinois as the main reason Lincoln defeated Seward for the Republican nomination. Denton states, “On Inauguration Day, March 4, 1861, the nation needed a leader who could take charge immediately.” That leader, according to Denton, was Seward, not Lincoln. Seward, not Lincoln, exerted a “Herculean effort to avert war.” Lincoln was “genuinely troubled, perhaps confused.” Seward, not Lincoln, “was driven to saving the nation without war.” Lincoln’s “marginal qualifications” as chief executive took a back seat during the secession winter to Seward, American statesman extraordinaire. On page 168, Denton launches into a 30-page epilogue entirely hypothetical in nature that describes the actions of president-elect – then president – William Henry Seward during the Secession Crisis. The action in the epilogue ranges from the barely possible to the absolutely preposterous. One sentence reveals much: “On October 1, 1861, General Robert E. Lee led the U.S. Army into South Carolina.” In Denton’s alternate universe where President Seward rules, Longstreet, Sherman, and Jackson march into battle together under Lee’s command, with J.E.B. Stuart and Phil Sheridan both commanding Federal cavalry brigades – really. William Henry Seward merits attention, scrutiny and analysis. Denton’s book certainly focuses attention on Seward, but the book is too repetitive, too uncritical, and in many instances too implausible to be taken seriously. Reviewer: John Deppen John Deppen is past president of the Susquehanna CWRT, a member of General John F. Hartranft Camp #15 of the SUVCW and a living historian who portrays Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock. His articles and reviews have appeared in Military Heritage, Gettysburg Magazine, The Civil War News and The Daily Item in central Pennsylvania.
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