FREE ESSAY ON LINCOLN'S WARTIME DECISIONS

LINCOLN'S WARTIME DECISIONS

How Justified Were President Lincoln's Wartime Decisions?
In a time of war, it is necessary for the President to enforce limits on the power of
individuals. President Lincoln was entirely justified in limiting rights during the
wartime situation to protect the nation. It was also necessary for him to increase the
size of the federal army in order for the North to have any possibility of winning the
war. Lincoln had to do all that he could to keep the Border States, each of which the
Union could not afford to lose. Setting limits on the rights of individuals was
unavoidable for President Lincoln, because Copperheads posed a significant threat to the
Union. 
It is almost certain that the North would have lost the war if Lincoln did not improve
the Union's army. The South had superior military trained personnel because most of the
U.S. military that had been professionally trained seceded with the South. A number of
notable military institutions were located in the South. The North only had a small
"standing army" before the war. Congress was not in session at the time of crisis, so
Lincoln himself requested 75, 000 men, most of which had never even held a gun. This
large army needed training and supplies. Had Lincoln waited for the $2 million needed for
military services to be appropriated, it may have been too late to successfully train
such a large army. 
It was crucial that the Union did not lose any of the Border States. Martial Law had to
be ordered in Maryland immediately, because the loss of Maryland would mean that the
Union's capital, Washington D. C., would become enemy territory. If the line between the
North and South shifted further north, the Union would lose many people, jobs, and
railroad lines. President Lincoln needed Kentucky because it supplied much of the iron,
gunpowder, and grain for the South. Slavery still existed in the Border States, which
could be used to lure the Confederate States back. Lincoln's priority was to preserve the
Union. Keeping Maryland, Missouri, Kentucky, Delaware, and West Virginia may have made it
possible. 
It was entirely necessary for Lincoln to limit the rights of individuals. Northerners who
sympathized with the South, also called "Copperheads", openly attacked President Lincoln
and the draft in newspapers, magazines, and their words. They often shipped goods to the
South. Their actions may have posed a threat to the Union and could have lead to the loss
of Border States. To prevent this, Lincoln arranged for "supervised" voting, and
rightfully suspended Habeas Corpus and free speech. Those who threatened the North by
outwardly speaking against the Union could be jailed immediately. 
In order to protect the nation, President Lincoln was entirely justified in suspending
rights during the wartime situation. The North would have had no chance of victory over
the Confederacy's superior military had Lincoln not supported our small, inexperienced
army. It was also crucial that the President kept the slave-holding Border States to be
able to lure the Confederate States back in, and more importantly, to protect Washington
D. C., the capital of the Union. If Lincoln allowed the sympathizers to continue freely
expressing their hate for the war, the "Copperheads" may have lead to many losses for the
North, including the vital Border States. If President Lincoln had not infringed on the
rights of the people, we could be living in the Confederate States of America today.