Lincoln Lives!

By Robert Blumetti

What would America and the world be like today if President Abraham Lincoln had survive Booth's assassination attempt on his life life? What were Lincoln's plans to reunify the United States? How would he have treated the South? How would he deal with the Radical Republicans who wanted to treat the South as conquered territory? What were Lincoln's plans for the four million freed slaves? What were economic plans for the future of a reunited country. In this alternative history you will discover answers to these questions and many more.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jul 10, 2020
• ISBN: 9781716753053

Robert Blumetti

Robert Blumetti has been an elder in the Odinist movement for more than 25 years. He was introduced into the Odinist movement by Robert Zoller, a Godhi with the Rune Gild, and world-renown medieval astrologer, in 1984. During the three years he spent with Zoller, he experienced an epiphany and became a devotee to Odin. Other Gods in which he established a special relationship with during this period of his life are Freyja and Balder. Blumetti is a Rune Master Program with the Denali Institute of Northern Traditions. His fi rst book on the subject of Odinism was, The Book of Balder Rising, which is a complete recitation of the Norse myths and interpretation. In his second book, Vrilology: Th e Secret Science of the Ancient Aryans, he explores the origins of Indo-European spirituality and the pagan religions, tracing their roots back to the Ur-civilization that existed in the Black Sea region, over nine thousand years ago. In his third book, Vril: The Secret to a Successful and Happy Life, which is an introduction to Vrilology. Blumetti is the Vril Master of the Church of Balder Rising located in northern New Jersey, teaches classes on Runes, galdor magic, seither, spa-craft, Vrilology, Norse lore and much more, and is a pioneer in the field of runic physics. Blumetti is also an author of many other books that include science fiction, heroic adventure, alternative histories.

Book preview

Lincoln Lives!

By

Robert Blumetti

Copyright 2020

Cover Art by Robert Blumetti

ISBN 978-1-71675-305-3

I dedicate this book to all who served in the Armed Force of the United States of American, especially for those who gave their lives so we could live free!

Lincoln's Plans for Reunification

The year 1864 had come to a close and Lincoln had just won reelection to four more years as President of the United States.  He had been inaugurated for a second term on March 4.  He decided to call a meeting of his new cabinet and talk about his desire to heal the wounds of this terrible war among brothers and that his deepest desire was the reunification of the United States and bring all Americans together again as one people. He opened the meeting of his new cabinet by announcing his plans for the South and the United States after the Confederacy was finally defeated.  He told those sitting around the conference table that he believed the war would come to a successful conclusion before the summer of 1865 is upon them.

Those who were present were: Vice President: Andrew Johnson who Lincoln chose to replace his former Vice-President Hannibal Hamlin. Johnson, a Southerner, started out as a Radical Republican who wanted to punish the South but soon came to agree with Lincoln's desire to be lenient with the South and quickly restore the Union.  Lincoln wanted a Southerner on his team to appeal to the South to return to the Union as Americans.  His Secretary of State was William H. Seward, who actually ran against Lincoln in 1860 but eventually became one of his biggest supporters.  The Secretary of the Treasury was Hugh McCulloch, who looked forward to working with Lincoln in his second term to expand the economy. The Secretary of War was Edwin M. Stanton.  He was one of the strongest leaders of the Radical Republicans.  He hated Lincoln and believed he had to be removed from office. The Attorney General James Speed was an old friend of Lincoln's and supported the President's policies. The Postmaster General was William Dennison.  He was a loyal supporter of Lincoln's policies. The Secretary of the Navy was Gideon Welles.  He opposed the Radical Republicans. The Secretary of the Interior was John P. Usher.  He planned to resign from his post because Lincoln did not want two members of his cabinet from Indiana.

President Lincoln’s first cabinet included all of his major rivals for the Republican nomination for President in 1860.  It had included William Seward, Salmon P. Chase, Simon Cameron and Edward Bates.  Many of them were rivals and objected to the inclusion of each other in the cabinet. There were differences over ideology, ethics and personality among them. Some of them like Simon Cameron came under attack because of his reputation for political and financial shenanigans and had to be replaced.  The truth is that no president up to that time ever had a cabinet made up of members who were so independent, and possessed their own large followings. The greatest irony of Mr. Lincoln’s administration was that he grew close to two men who were once his greatest critics William Seward and Edwin Stanton. Both men actually disliked each other intensely.  In fact most of the cabinet members dislike each other and there was great rivalry among them that Lincoln ignored, preferring to govern by a divide and rule policy.  The truth be known, Lincoln wanted his critics within the cabinet rather than outside of it where they could actually rise as vocal opponents.  He didn't care if they fought among themselves, because he had decided that he was going to govern on his own judgment.

Among his cabinet members in 1865, Seward had started out believing Lincoln unfit to be president and craved the office himself.  Once appointed to Lincoln's cabinet he believed he could dominate Lincoln and effectively be the power behind the president.  But Lincoln was too shrew and in time he came to win Seward over as a major supporter.

The other cabinet member Lincoln felt close to was Stanton, but Stanton secretly despised Lincoln and considered him a country fool.  But over time he grew to respect Lincoln's power of manipulation and made an effort to become close to him.  But Stanton never became his supporter, but rather a conspirator who worked behind Lincoln's back to undermine his policies.  He felt he could fool Lincoln into appointing him as the leader of the Supreme Court, so that he could eventually overrule Lincoln's future policies of reconciliation with the Southern States after the war. Lincoln never did appoint him to the Supreme Court and Stanton grew to hate Lincoln intensely behind his back.  Stanton made it a point to hide his true feelings and felt he could deceive the President and Seward, agreeing in their presence with them, but in actuality he began to weave a web of intrigue making confidants of certain leading men in government and business, and follow his own policies in contrary to Lincoln's.  It was just a matter of time that Stanton found himself in the center of a conspiracy aimed at removing Lincoln as president.

Lincoln sat in his chair surrounded by his cabinet members.  He leaned back, placed his glasses on the table before him and squeezed the bridge of his nose between his eyes and sigh.  I am weary of this war, he said.  "My only console is that it can't go on much more.  I can see it coming to a conclusion in the next few months, maybe even in the weeks ahead. 

When my term of office is done and I leave the White House forever, my Mary and I plan to visit the Holy Lands.  I do so dearly want to walk the paths and streets that our Lord Jesus Christ traveled so long ago.  And though I dare not compare myself to our Lord, I too know how weary one can be when carrying such a burden.

Lincoln sighed once more and smiled as he looked at the faces surrounding him.

I am not the fool that so many of you sitting at this table might think I am, Lincoln said with no animosity.  Seward began to protest, but Lincoln cut him off with a wave of his hand.  I do not state this out of malice, to any of you, but only say it as a statement of fact.  I realize that even when the war ends, the struggle to reunite this great nation of ours will be a task greater than even the legendary Hercules had to content with in his many labors.  But I am resigned to leave behind when I step down from this office in four years, a healed nation. The blood of six hundred-thousand Americans has been spilled in this conflict, and twice as many injured.  I know I do not have the divine power to heal their wounds, but by all that is holy, I will not let our glorious America suffer the fate of King Arthur of old, to suffer the wound that can never be healed. I am determined that when I leave office, I will leave behind a nation whole and united once more.  I swear to you gentlemen that I will do this sacred thing no matter what devices I may have to fall back on."

When Lincoln finished speaking, no one spoke a word.  They sat mesmerized, though not everyone present was moved by his oath.  They had never heard him speak like this before.  There were those who had been plotting to make sure Lincoln would never carry out his oath.  There were those in his cabinet, and outside his government who had other designs and plans for the United States and especially for the South once it was defeated that was very different from Lincoln's dream of national reconciliation.  And they had sworn among themselves not to let some country-clown stand in their way.

I wish to remind you of the plan I presented to the cabinet on December 8, 1863, or should I say, to the previous cabinet.  Some of you were present, but others were not, and so I want to reiterate what that plan is, Lincoln began to explain.  "I offered a conciliatory plan for reunification of the United States entitled The Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction.  The proclamation I presented had three principles. First, it allowed for a full pardon and restoration of property to all who were engaged in the rebellion with the exception of the highest Confederate officials and military leaders. Second, it allowed for new state governments to be formed when 10 percent of the adult white male population in a state takes an oath of allegiance to the United States. This will allow the Southern states to immediately send Representatives and Senators to the United States Congress. Third, the Southern states will be encouraged to enact plans to deal with the freed slaves so long as their freedom was not compromised."

Some of the cabinet members nodded in agreement, while others, in particular Stanton, sat stony face without saying a word.

I believe this plan will be acceptable for most Southerners. Though the emancipation of slaves might be an impossible pill for some former slave owners to swallow, Lincoln said.  "I hope to help them swallow that pill through financial compensation paid by the Federal Government.  I believe my plan is charitable and fair, considering the costliness of the war, financially sound.  I would like to remind you that Louisiana, Tennessee, and Arkansas have accepted my plan and