I am suprised though at the lack of publication and discussion of Lincoln's heavy handedness and political naivete, particularly early in his first term. Francis Blair Jr and Nathanial Lyon nearly drove Missouri to be a seccesionist state by prempting the elected government of the state, all with Lincoln's blessing . This strategy, appealing to the radical republican abolitionist base (their self description, not mine), essentially made Missouri a Union state one county wide along the Mississippi River and force tremendous Union resources to be expended needlessly to fight an insurgent guerilla war.

Think about it and extend it to today. Strong Central Gov't issuses proclamation requiring state action and a state declines. Being frivolous, but say the speed limit is to be rolled back to 45 MPH due to gas prices. A state declines to go to 45 but decides on 55. What would the general public do and say if as a result of the state action Washington DC sent regular military troops to arrest and throw in jail the entirity of the sitting elected state government, irregardless of political party, and then installed a government hand picked by 2 or 3 Senators and Representatives? We say it can never happen, but Lincoln did pull it off in both Missouri and Maryland, and you rarely find it mentioned in the textbooks. Yes, Lincoln and the Civil War did extend central government authority and strength well beyond what the original framers had in mind. (IMHO :>)

John R.