Chapter 76
November, 1866
Washington DC
Well, Lincoln thought in disappointment as he reviewed the mid-term election tallies, it could have been worse.
It truly could as the nation was enduring a bit of an economic slump and post-war exhaustion. The huge amount of weight placed upon the black suffrage movement also lost the Republicans some support. High tariffs to pay the exorbitant war debt and limited funds for investment were also key factors in why the Republicans lost 30 seats in the House and 5 in the Senate.
Yes, it could have been worse. At least the necessary number of states had approved the 15th Amendment late summer. That guaranteed over 750,000 new voters who were quite certain they knew who to thank for their suffrage. Unfortunately, most of those new voters were also residing in Southern States which had not yet been readmitted to Congress. Oh, well.
Still, Lincoln had done his best and the Republicans maintained a significant majority in both Houses of Congress. That was something.
In addition to the litany of complaints leveled against him by the Democrats, he had been accused of "Gerry-Mandering" by fast-tracking the statehood of Lafayette and Washington DC. The former only BARELY approved a referendum requesting statehood while the latter had long been presumed never to be raised to statehood.
Of course these were a wash as the French residents of Lafayette largely supported the Democrats (though their biggest domestic issue, beyond NOT WANTING to be Americans in the first place, was America's requirement of secular schools) while Washington DC, with its large black population, large military garrisons and number of bureaucrats would vote overwhelmingly Republican.
Given the massive Republican Majorities of the past four years, this return to the equilibrium may be deemed inevitable. Still, Lincoln would miss those majorities.
Unfortunately, there remained many accounts of intimidation of black voters in generation and unrest on the whole. Too many changes in too short a period of time had that effect. But most of the black men of the north successfully voted (for Republicans) and that had offset losing so many of the "Anti-Confederate" Democrats which had supported the Republicans during the war years.
Speaking of, Lincoln had a meeting this afternoon with two Senators of the same name, but certainly not related.
Stephen Douglas had long been Lincoln's rival in Illinois. However, the Democrat, having lost the 1860 election, did not hesitate to back Lincoln to preserve the Union. The President would never forget that fact and always treated Douglas with respect.
The new Senator from Washington "State", as the District of Columbia was now known, was Frederick Douglass. Elected as the "Senior" Senator of the new State, Douglass was the first black man to sit in the Senate. Four other black men had already been elected to the House of Representatives.
"Senator, Senator," Lincoln addressed them both, finding them an odd couple. While not a "fire-brand" Democrat, Stephen Douglas had not been overly concerned with the status of the slaves prior to the war. He just wanted to preserve the Union by compromise. Given the deplorable number of dead in the War Between the States, that seemed a reasonable concern. Frederick Douglass, on the other hand, was chief among the agitators for equal rights and was not remotely done doing so. With the greatest platform in the land, Douglass did not intend to shut up anytime in the near future.
That both Senators were willing to be seen with one another perhaps was a good thing. Separated by race and party, the two still had maintained a cordial relationship.
"Gentlemen, how can I help the senior Senators of Illinois and Washington?" The President greeted them warmly as John Hay came forward with coffee.
Both accepted and quietly sipped for a few moments before Douglass rumbled in his deep baritone, "I shall take only a few minutes of your time, Mr. President. The lack of Freedmen being granted Federal Jobs and Contracts prove that they are not yet getting a fair deal as you recall promising. The Federal shipyards, postal positions, etc, etc continue to allocate ALL positions to whites....as you may well know."
Lincoln nodded, admitting the same problem. Though he never wanted to produce some sort of "quota" system, it seemed necessary. "Yes, Mr. Douglass.....er, Senator Douglass, I fear I must concur. Though I am not certain how to change this, plainly something must be done."
"I quite agree, Mr. President," Senator Douglas intoned, much to Lincoln's surprise. He still hadn't figured out why BOTH of them were there together. "The Federal hiring system must be upgraded to hire the most qualified."
So, THAT was it. The Spoils System created under President Jackson had turned Federal Employment into a partisan affair. Even time a party left power, the postal workers and various bureaucrats were liable to be fired and replaced by members of the incoming party. It was a regrettable system and Lincoln admitted it had to change. Of course, during the sixty-year domination of the Democrats, this was not a problem beyond the occasional Whig President. However, it now appeared that the Republicans were the favorites to remain in office for a generation and that would keep Democrats out of Federal hiring. No wonder Lincoln's fellow Illinoisan wanted to support reform. Siding with Douglass only meant furthering his own party's ends.
Lincoln allowed both to carry on for some time before holding up his hand, "Gentlemen, I already survived ONE Lincoln-Douglas debate and have no intention of experiencing a Lincoln-Douglas-Douglass debate. You have my support if you can bring a bi-partisan bill before Congress."
Surprised, both Senators thanked him and departed without expected acrimony. Lincoln was amused at how such differing people could make such common cause.
Despite the improving economy, there seemed to be no shortage of problems. The sheer vastness of the migration out west by Freedmen in particular and Americans in General had strained the government's resources. The Freedmen had been promised provisions, seed, tools and an animal. Initially, this had not been a problem as there were so many surplus army pack animals. However, by 1866, this was costing the nation no small amount. The horse, mule, oxen, cattle, sheep, goat and various other animal producers in Texas in particular were making a mint off of the Federal largesse supplying this exodus.
The Navy continued to spend money hand over fist as it decommissioned old ships and built expensive new ones. The heavy two-turret battlecruisers were being launched every three months while trials on new submersibles continued apace. This seemed a good coastal defense idea. Unfortunately, two of the submersibles had been lost in accidents with all hands over the past year, bringing the idea into some disrepute. Still, key members of the admiralty remained in favor and they represented a small part of the research and development budget so Lincoln was willing to continue to experiment though under safer terms.
With the new "State of Washington" rising up in the district of Columbia, the "Washington Territory" out west, which would probably be fit for statehood sooner rather than later, would require a name change. Given how political such things tended to be, Lincoln was content let Congress hash that out. They'll probably name it after the biggest local river or Indian tribe. Rumors that the President was going to rename the territory "Lincoln" were almost absurd and probably cost him some votes in the last election.
As it so happened, the large Negro town in Nebraska (as well as towns in most states and territories) had been named after him. Lincoln was not so vain to actually advocate a state being named after himself.
Seward was Lincoln's next appointment. The Secretary of State had been the frontrunner for the Republican nod in 1860 and initially there was a frostiness between the two. However, that had warmed to a mutual respect and loyalty. Besides, Seward was almost as ugly as Lincoln and the President appreciated that.
"Mr. President," Seward began without preamble, as was his wont, "I'm getting increasingly concerned about this matter in Hispaniola. The reports that I am receiving paint a stark picture of mass slaughter in Haiti."
Lincoln frowned, "Spain has been perhaps the only European power with whom we have no quarrel....and does not seek to undermine us. I would hate to burn that bridge as well."
"Nor would I, Mr. President," the Secretary of State intoned, "but I cannot stay silent as hundreds of thousands of people are murdered. Even accounting for some exaggeration, it would seem at least a quarter of the population of Haiti is dead. Entire districts are being wiped clean of adult males and rapine of the Haitian women by Spanish, Dominican, French, Cuban, Puerto Rican....etc..... are simply too numerous to discount."
Lincoln sighed, "Send an envoy to Haiti, then. Perhaps your son would be interested. I would like a first-hand account by someone impartial. Just the facts, please."
Taking the victory for what it was, Seward nodded and departed without asking another boon leaving Lincoln to wonder if he wanted to kick up another foreign hornet's nest. The Haitians had been nothing but trouble since independence, both for themselves and their neighbors. While no doubt brutally oppressed for generations in bondage, the first half century since independence did not speak well of black government. Warlords, coups d'etats and other violence seemed to be endemic to that region.
When SPANISH government, of all things, was viewed as the more stable, it was a bad situation.
Washington DC
Well, Lincoln thought in disappointment as he reviewed the mid-term election tallies, it could have been worse.
It truly could as the nation was enduring a bit of an economic slump and post-war exhaustion. The huge amount of weight placed upon the black suffrage movement also lost the Republicans some support. High tariffs to pay the exorbitant war debt and limited funds for investment were also key factors in why the Republicans lost 30 seats in the House and 5 in the Senate.
Yes, it could have been worse. At least the necessary number of states had approved the 15th Amendment late summer. That guaranteed over 750,000 new voters who were quite certain they knew who to thank for their suffrage. Unfortunately, most of those new voters were also residing in Southern States which had not yet been readmitted to Congress. Oh, well.
Still, Lincoln had done his best and the Republicans maintained a significant majority in both Houses of Congress. That was something.
In addition to the litany of complaints leveled against him by the Democrats, he had been accused of "Gerry-Mandering" by fast-tracking the statehood of Lafayette and Washington DC. The former only BARELY approved a referendum requesting statehood while the latter had long been presumed never to be raised to statehood.
Of course these were a wash as the French residents of Lafayette largely supported the Democrats (though their biggest domestic issue, beyond NOT WANTING to be Americans in the first place, was America's requirement of secular schools) while Washington DC, with its large black population, large military garrisons and number of bureaucrats would vote overwhelmingly Republican.
Given the massive Republican Majorities of the past four years, this return to the equilibrium may be deemed inevitable. Still, Lincoln would miss those majorities.
Unfortunately, there remained many accounts of intimidation of black voters in generation and unrest on the whole. Too many changes in too short a period of time had that effect. But most of the black men of the north successfully voted (for Republicans) and that had offset losing so many of the "Anti-Confederate" Democrats which had supported the Republicans during the war years.
Speaking of, Lincoln had a meeting this afternoon with two Senators of the same name, but certainly not related.
Stephen Douglas had long been Lincoln's rival in Illinois. However, the Democrat, having lost the 1860 election, did not hesitate to back Lincoln to preserve the Union. The President would never forget that fact and always treated Douglas with respect.
The new Senator from Washington "State", as the District of Columbia was now known, was Frederick Douglass. Elected as the "Senior" Senator of the new State, Douglass was the first black man to sit in the Senate. Four other black men had already been elected to the House of Representatives.
"Senator, Senator," Lincoln addressed them both, finding them an odd couple. While not a "fire-brand" Democrat, Stephen Douglas had not been overly concerned with the status of the slaves prior to the war. He just wanted to preserve the Union by compromise. Given the deplorable number of dead in the War Between the States, that seemed a reasonable concern. Frederick Douglass, on the other hand, was chief among the agitators for equal rights and was not remotely done doing so. With the greatest platform in the land, Douglass did not intend to shut up anytime in the near future.
That both Senators were willing to be seen with one another perhaps was a good thing. Separated by race and party, the two still had maintained a cordial relationship.
"Gentlemen, how can I help the senior Senators of Illinois and Washington?" The President greeted them warmly as John Hay came forward with coffee.
Both accepted and quietly sipped for a few moments before Douglass rumbled in his deep baritone, "I shall take only a few minutes of your time, Mr. President. The lack of Freedmen being granted Federal Jobs and Contracts prove that they are not yet getting a fair deal as you recall promising. The Federal shipyards, postal positions, etc, etc continue to allocate ALL positions to whites....as you may well know."
Lincoln nodded, admitting the same problem. Though he never wanted to produce some sort of "quota" system, it seemed necessary. "Yes, Mr. Douglass.....er, Senator Douglass, I fear I must concur. Though I am not certain how to change this, plainly something must be done."
"I quite agree, Mr. President," Senator Douglas intoned, much to Lincoln's surprise. He still hadn't figured out why BOTH of them were there together. "The Federal hiring system must be upgraded to hire the most qualified."
So, THAT was it. The Spoils System created under President Jackson had turned Federal Employment into a partisan affair. Even time a party left power, the postal workers and various bureaucrats were liable to be fired and replaced by members of the incoming party. It was a regrettable system and Lincoln admitted it had to change. Of course, during the sixty-year domination of the Democrats, this was not a problem beyond the occasional Whig President. However, it now appeared that the Republicans were the favorites to remain in office for a generation and that would keep Democrats out of Federal hiring. No wonder Lincoln's fellow Illinoisan wanted to support reform. Siding with Douglass only meant furthering his own party's ends.
Lincoln allowed both to carry on for some time before holding up his hand, "Gentlemen, I already survived ONE Lincoln-Douglas debate and have no intention of experiencing a Lincoln-Douglas-Douglass debate. You have my support if you can bring a bi-partisan bill before Congress."
Surprised, both Senators thanked him and departed without expected acrimony. Lincoln was amused at how such differing people could make such common cause.
Despite the improving economy, there seemed to be no shortage of problems. The sheer vastness of the migration out west by Freedmen in particular and Americans in General had strained the government's resources. The Freedmen had been promised provisions, seed, tools and an animal. Initially, this had not been a problem as there were so many surplus army pack animals. However, by 1866, this was costing the nation no small amount. The horse, mule, oxen, cattle, sheep, goat and various other animal producers in Texas in particular were making a mint off of the Federal largesse supplying this exodus.
The Navy continued to spend money hand over fist as it decommissioned old ships and built expensive new ones. The heavy two-turret battlecruisers were being launched every three months while trials on new submersibles continued apace. This seemed a good coastal defense idea. Unfortunately, two of the submersibles had been lost in accidents with all hands over the past year, bringing the idea into some disrepute. Still, key members of the admiralty remained in favor and they represented a small part of the research and development budget so Lincoln was willing to continue to experiment though under safer terms.
With the new "State of Washington" rising up in the district of Columbia, the "Washington Territory" out west, which would probably be fit for statehood sooner rather than later, would require a name change. Given how political such things tended to be, Lincoln was content let Congress hash that out. They'll probably name it after the biggest local river or Indian tribe. Rumors that the President was going to rename the territory "Lincoln" were almost absurd and probably cost him some votes in the last election.
As it so happened, the large Negro town in Nebraska (as well as towns in most states and territories) had been named after him. Lincoln was not so vain to actually advocate a state being named after himself.
Seward was Lincoln's next appointment. The Secretary of State had been the frontrunner for the Republican nod in 1860 and initially there was a frostiness between the two. However, that had warmed to a mutual respect and loyalty. Besides, Seward was almost as ugly as Lincoln and the President appreciated that.
"Mr. President," Seward began without preamble, as was his wont, "I'm getting increasingly concerned about this matter in Hispaniola. The reports that I am receiving paint a stark picture of mass slaughter in Haiti."
Lincoln frowned, "Spain has been perhaps the only European power with whom we have no quarrel....and does not seek to undermine us. I would hate to burn that bridge as well."
"Nor would I, Mr. President," the Secretary of State intoned, "but I cannot stay silent as hundreds of thousands of people are murdered. Even accounting for some exaggeration, it would seem at least a quarter of the population of Haiti is dead. Entire districts are being wiped clean of adult males and rapine of the Haitian women by Spanish, Dominican, French, Cuban, Puerto Rican....etc..... are simply too numerous to discount."
Lincoln sighed, "Send an envoy to Haiti, then. Perhaps your son would be interested. I would like a first-hand account by someone impartial. Just the facts, please."
Taking the victory for what it was, Seward nodded and departed without asking another boon leaving Lincoln to wonder if he wanted to kick up another foreign hornet's nest. The Haitians had been nothing but trouble since independence, both for themselves and their neighbors. While no doubt brutally oppressed for generations in bondage, the first half century since independence did not speak well of black government. Warlords, coups d'etats and other violence seemed to be endemic to that region.
When SPANISH government, of all things, was viewed as the more stable, it was a bad situation.
Last edited: