I'm curious as to why Lincoln would propose this with a substantial portion of the South already under federal control and the final defeat of the South all but a foregone conclusion. He must have known that passage of his resolution was improbable with much of the North in no mood to placate the rebellious states who had just bled thousands of their husbands, sons and fathers. What was his purpose here? We know that his plans for reconstruction were far more generous than his fellow Republicans wanted, but this is much farther than that. I don't get it. I understand why he may have proposed it in 1862. At that time, the prospect of a long brutal war with no certainty of success was sobering. That much butchery and expense was something to be avoided if possible. By the spring of '65, most of the bill in blood and treasure had already been paid.

This and his offer in 1862 along with southern rejection of the offer makes me wonder if Lincoln really understood why the South had left the Union, or was he playing a political game?

Any thoughts David?