Fox News Showing Doc About Lincoln's Assassination: Was Boothe Right Or Wrong ?

[romansoldier1]

Was John Wilkes Boothe a hero for the Confederacy ? or was he wrong to kill Lincoln ? Thoughts??

[BrawnyMan]

Right.

[Pack007]

He assassinated the president and you loonies are wondering if his actions were right or wrong......wow.

[BrawnyMan]

Lincoln was a monster, he would have killed every last man in this country if it meant holding his precious union together.

[Pack007]

That was the dumbest statement that I believe I've ever heard. Besides, he didn't start the war he just finished it.

I didn't even respond to it, because it was so stupid.

[BrawnyMan]

Aww, did I damage your embellished image of Lincoln? Our statist educational system sure likes to paint a much better picture of the monster that was.

 

I didn't say he started it, but he was damn committed to finishing it, regardless of the cost. Lincoln was a POS, and one of our top 5 worst presidents.

[Wild74]

Was John Wilkes Boothe a hero for the Confederacy ? or was he wrong to kill Lincoln ? Thoughts??

He was wrong to kill Lincoln, the Souths recovery was set back 20 years because of it. Lincoln was looking to rebuild the south not punish it.

[BrawnyMan]

The opposite actually, I was raised like everyone else in school, to revere him. I don't revere politicians, or leaders for that matter, period.

 

In no particular order.

 

Had no regard for the Constitution. (Most presidents don't)

Suspended habeas corpus without the authority of congress.

Silenced the press.

Opposed racial equality (Wasn't the first or last on this, but still bad)

Wasn't an abolitionist, but suddenly became one when he needed it to curry favor with the masses.

 

You can make the argument we have had worse, and we have, but he is not the great man we are told he was.

[romansoldier1]

There is a lot of debate about Lincoln and his actions. There is no question that he could have exhausted all options before provoking a war with the South, which he did by his actions. There is no question that each state has states rights and joined the union VOLUNTARILY when our nation was formed. If they can join voluntarily, they should be able to leave voluntarily. Many view Lincoln as tyrannical. His actions led to the death of hundreds of thousands of people, which could have been avoidable had Lincoln not put politics and his stubbornness first. Many regiments in the Yankee army even threatened mutiny because of Lincolns' actions. Northern textile mills could not compete with slave labor and the rising industry in the South and this was the main cause of the war, but the North tried to use the cause of abolition as a cover so they would look good in the public light. Why did Lincoln wait until 1863 to issue the Emancipation proclamation ? Why not do it at the onset of the conflict ? John Wilkes Booth was a talented actor of his day, popular, handsome, and erudite. He struck an important and valiant blow for the South when he shot Lincoln. And I admire him greatly. it is also a fallacy that Lincoln would have wanted to rebuild the South. The increasing industrialization of the South was what threatened the North in the first place. We will not have another war between South and North; the next one will be a different kind of conflict.

[trueblue82]

I don't necessarily believe everything our school history books tell us about ole Abe, which based on what my 16 year old daughter tells me, now consists of about 15 minutes of history class, or roughly half of one page of a textbook. I don't think Boothe is a guy to be revered or celebrated, no more than I believe Lincoln is one of our greatest presidents. Boothe's deed was no more heroic than any modern drive-by shooting that we see daily on the 6:00 news. Lincoln is definitely not in the bottom 10 on the list of presidential greatness, because he was better than at least 8 of our last 10.

[blackflag79]

So Abe Lincoln didn't start the Civil War???!!

[CarthDawg77]

So Abe Lincoln didn't start the Civil War???!!

The Battle of Fort Sumter (April 1214, 1861) was the bombardment of U.S. Fort Sumter, near Charleston, South Carolina, by the Confederates, and the return gunfire and subsequent surrender by the U.S. Army that started the American Civil War.

‎Robert Anderson · ‎President Lincoln's 75,000 ... · ‎Second Battle of Fort Sumter

[EnjoyLife]

The war was over. The Confederacy was defeated. If Lincoln had lived reconstruction might not have been so hard on the south. Lincolns assassination probably played a big part in why the south was the poorest region of the country for the next century.

[EnjoyLife]

During the war Lincoln would have been a legitimate target...but not after Lee had surrendered and the remnants of the Confederate forces were disbanding.

[EnjoyLife]

I see Lincoln as half hero and half tyrant. Over all he did a pretty good job considering the problems he faced.

[blackflag79]

The Battle of Fort Sumter (April 1214, 1861) was the bombardment of U.S. Fort Sumter, near Charleston, South Carolina, by the Confederates, and the return gunfire and subsequent surrender by the U.S. Army that started the American Civil War.

‎Robert Anderson · ‎President Lincoln's 75,000 ... · ‎Second Battle of Fort Sumter

 

I've read that and it is revisionist history. The winner gets to write the history books. If you read about the War of Northern Aggression it states it in a different light. I think the truth is probably somewhere in the middle.

[romansoldier1]

The Battle of Fort Sumter (April 1214, 1861) was the bombardment of U.S. Fort Sumter, near Charleston, South Carolina, by the Confederates, and the return gunfire and subsequent surrender by the U.S. Army that started the American Civil War.

‎Robert Anderson · ‎President Lincoln's 75,000 ... · ‎Second Battle of Fort Sumter

Lincoln instigated an unnecessary war instead of seeking a number of other solutions to avoid one. The colonies joined the union voluntarily, so they should have the right to leave it voluntarily also.

[romansoldier1]

During the war Lincoln would have been a legitimate target...but not after Lee had surrendered and the remnants of the Confederate forces were disbanding.

 

Other remaining armies in the South had not yet surrendered when Lincoln was shot so he was commander-in-chief, and thus a fair target. Lincoln caused the death of hundreds of thousands. No sympathy here.

[romansoldier1]

The opposite actually, I was raised like everyone else in school, to revere him. I don't revere politicians, or leaders for that matter, period.

 

In no particular order.

 

Had no regard for the Constitution. (Most presidents don't)

Suspended habeas corpus without the authority of congress.

Silenced the press.

Opposed racial equality (Wasn't the first or last on this, but still bad)

Wasn't an abolitionist, but suddenly became one when he needed it to curry favor with the masses.

 

You can make the argument we have had worse, and we have, but he is not the great man we are told he was.

 

Good points BrawnyMan, Lincoln talked about his opposition to racial equality in his early campaigns. And yes, he did abuse his powers.

[DaveTV1]

I admire Lincoln, but would rank him 5th best of all time. I realize that he did many things that he shouldn't have been given the power to do, but the United States was at war with itself. That calls for drastic measures. Had he been able to serve his last 4 years as President I do think reconstruction wouldn't have been as severe. Both Johnson and Grant were harsher than how Lincoln wanted to go about Reconstruction. I honestly think that the South would have still been bitter about the war, but they wouldn't have had a hatred for Yankees for as long as many did because of the harsh conditions that Johnson and Grant used. They wanted to punish the South for the war along with the people many that didn't even fight or support the war. Lincoln would not have done that. I'm not sure who would have won the 1868 election had he been able to serve his full term.

 

I realize Boothe did not want slavery to end, but he should not have assassinated Lincoln. While he had planned to kidnap him during the war, he felt the only way to help the South was to kill him, even though the South had lost the war. I think that Lincoln's assassination also played a big part in the huge suffering that the residence of the South endured and not just the Civil War. One thing I will say is I do not think that Dr. Samuel Mudd should have been imprisoned. He did not know that Boothe had assassinated Lincoln when he treated him, and we can not say that he found out within the 24 hours before he reported treating him. News did not travel as fast during the mid-late 1800's. I would need to see his patients log for the day after he treated Boothe, but he could have been busy treating them, and not reading or hearing the news. I feel he alerted authorities in a timely manner for that day and age. I had heard that the saying "My name is mud" was in reference to him, but it's not.

[romansoldier1]

I admire Lincoln, but would rank him 5th best of all time. I realize that he did many things that he shouldn't have been given the power to do, but the United States was at war with itself. That calls for drastic measures. Had he been able to serve his last 4 years as President I do think reconstruction wouldn't have been as severe. Both Johnson and Grant were harsher than how Lincoln wanted to go about Reconstruction. I honestly think that the South would have still been bitter about the war, but they wouldn't have had a hatred for Yankees for as long as many did because of the harsh conditions that Johnson and Grant used. They wanted to punish the South for the war along with the people many that didn't even fight or support the war. Lincoln would not have done that. I'm not sure who would have won the 1868 election had he been able to serve his full term.

 

I realize Boothe did not want slavery to end, but he should not have assassinated Lincoln. While he had planned to kidnap him during the war, he felt the only way to help the South was to kill him, even though the South had lost the war. I think that Lincoln's assassination also played a big part in the huge suffering that the residence of the South endured and not just the Civil War. One thing I will say is I do not think that Dr. Samuel Mudd should have been imprisoned. He did not know that Boothe had assassinated Lincoln when he treated him, and we can not say that he found out within the 24 hours before he reported treating him. News did not travel as fast during the mid-late 1800's. I would need to see his patients log for the day after he treated Boothe, but he could have been busy treating them, and not reading or hearing the news. I feel he alerted authorities in a timely manner for that day and age. I had heard that the saying "My name is mud" was in reference to him, but it's not.

​I didn't mean to cause you to type that long reply DaveTV1 but good read, good read. I still can't excuse Lincoln for his bellicose actions and instigations that led to an avoidable war. It is obvious that since the colonies joined the union voluntarily, they should be able to leave also. Joining a union for protection from the Redcoats and Tories in 1776 did not mean that states gave up their rights. ​Lincoln was tyrannical in trying to FORCE the states to stay in the union. It's like if a big city tried to forcibly annex your neighborhood without your consent, you might not want that. Consent of the governed is one our nation's agreements and laws. Remember that.

[CarthDawg77]

​I didn't mean to cause you to type that long reply DaveTV1 but good read, good read. I still can't excuse Lincoln for his bellicose actions and instigations that led to an avoidable war. It is obvious that since the colonies joined the union voluntarily, they should be able to leave also. Joining a union for protection from the Redcoats and Tories in 1776 did not mean that states gave up their rights. ​Lincoln was tyrannical in trying to FORCE the states to stay in the union. It's like if a big city tried to forcibly annex your neighborhood without your consent, you might not want that. Consent of the governed is one our nation's agreements and laws. Remember that.

Texas is a Republic... Just see what would happen if we Really Did Secede....

[romansoldier1]

Texas ceased to be a republic when it's citizens voted by a vast majority to be annexed by the USA in order for the state to be joined by the US to fight the Mexican War. Annexation was wildly popular among Texans, which is proven by towns and counties being named in honor of pro annexation leaders like Abel Upshur and John Tyler. I believe that Texas should retain much of its laws and customs however.

[DaveTV1]

​I didn't mean to cause you to type that long reply DaveTV1 but good read, good read. I still can't excuse Lincoln for his bellicose actions and instigations that led to an avoidable war. It is obvious that since the colonies joined the union voluntarily, they should be able to leave also. Joining a union for protection from the Redcoats and Tories in 1776 did not mean that states gave up their rights. ​Lincoln was tyrannical in trying to FORCE the states to stay in the union. It's like if a big city tried to forcibly annex your neighborhood without your consent, you might not want that. Consent of the governed is one our nation's agreements and laws. Remember that.

Fort Sumter was an act of aggression. While South Carolina felt they had the right to attack the Union had to respond. This was an act of war, and that's when the Civil War began. The Confederacy had already withdrawn from the Union without a single shot being fired. We've all heard for secession of Texas from the Union in recent years, and Ft. Hood has been brought up not counting the other bases and forts that are in Texas. If Texas did secede we don't know how Washington would respond, but I'm sure if we attacked their military installations that war would result as well.

[CarthDawg77]

 

I've read that and it is revisionist history. The winner gets to write the history books. If you read about the War of Northern Aggression it states it in a different light. I think the truth is probably somewhere in the middle.

Could you please provide a link to this article? I, for one, am intrigued...