Abraham Lincoln, Duff Green, and the Mysterious Trumbull Letter

Abraham Lincoln, Duff Green, and the Mysterious Trumbull Letter David E. Woodard The months between Abraham Lincoln's election and his inauguration were perhaps the most critical in American history. During that period, seven Southern states decided to leave the Union while Congress tried, in vain, to design a settlement. During it all, the nation wondered what policies the president-elect would follow when he assumed office in March 1861. A number of people traveled to Springfield, Illinois, attempting to draw opinions from Lincoln. The historical record shows that he revealed few details during those four months. Lincoln remarked, "I could say nothing which I have not already said, and which is in print and accessible to the public." He wished neither to articulate unrealistic solutions nor hinder ongoing negotiations. The few times Lincoln did offer sentiments, his words were misinterpreted and used by his adversaries. His friends in Congress convinced Lincoln that a "policy of silence" would be the best strategy.' Lincoln did, however, discuss issues on several occasions. One meeting of particular importance was held with an eccentric, yet influential, Southerner named Duff Green. In late December i860 Green was dispatched to Springfield by President James Buchanan to discuss the congressional compromise deliberations . Lincoln and Green were old friends, and the administration hoped to get the president-elect involved in the stalled sectional negotiations. That December meeting was significant for several reasons. First, Lincoln composed a letter to Green specifically addressing some of his views on the sectional crisis. However, that letter was never made public and Green did not receive a response until several weeks after the meeting. The letter serves as an excellent example of the charged antebellum political environment, and its elusive journey demonstrates how difficult it was for Lincoln to make any statement or comment before his inauguration. The meeting also illustrates meaningful characteristics about the two participants and their circumstances. ' Benjamin P. Thomas, Abraham Lincoln: A Biography (New York: Knopf, 1952), 227. Civil War History, Vol. xlii. No. 3 © 1996 by The Kent State University Press 212CIVIL WAR HISTORY Lincoln's perilous political situation, as well as his political skills, are revealed in his actions after their engagement. In Green, we see the consummate antebellum political operative trying to use his store of influence and friendship with Lincoln to rectify a dangerous state of political affairs. Little has been written about the life or career of Duff Green; yet the fact that he was dispatched by the president of the United States at such a critical juncture in history demonstrates his significance as a national figure in antebellum America. Gen. Duff Green was a well-known and influential political figure in antebellum America. One historian has written that Green's "name was a household word in all this country from the presidency of John Quincy Adams to the era of reconstruction" and that he "played a significant role in every national election between 1824 and 1848." During his half-century of public life, Green was an advisor to presidents, a powerful newspaper editor, a diplomat, an entrepreneur, a businessman, and a writer on finance and currency. Yet Green has largely been neglected by historians. There is no comprehensive biography of Green, and he is too often depicted as just another Southern extremist only concerned with protecting slavery.2 Green first gained national attention in 1824 when he bought and edited the St. Louis Enquirer. Presidential candidate Andrew Jackson was so impressed with Green's skills that he asked the Missouri editor to start a partisan newspaper in Washington. In 1827 Green went to the nation's capital and bought the United States Telegraph. That paper would become the official voice of the Jackson administration. After Jackson's victory in 1828, Green became a powerful figure in the administration. He was a member of the "Kitchen Cabinet," and Fletcher Green wrote that "there was no man nearer to General Jackson than Duff Green was."3 But Green's influence with the president soon ended. Green was too partisan even for the Jackson administration. Some leading Democrats urged the president to find an editor that was more conciliatory; someone who would combine "a little philosophy...