I think Lincoln if anything, would have been even more Machiavellian and used the freed blacks against his political enemies more than they were. Nothing suggests in his conduct of the war that he would scruple to use a weapon he had in his arsenal. He would have done as bad or worse while using honeyed words and speaking about “reconciliation”.
Lincoln ran for office for the time at the age of 21. From 1834 until his death he was out of state or federal office for a period of slightly less than five years. He was like all career politicians, a lying sack of schit. They were no different then than they are now.
Goddam we agree on somethin 🤣🤣
