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PROLOGUE

ABRAHAM LINCOLN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

The threat of war, and war itself, has plagued my presidency of these United States of Auration Instead of a peaceful handing over of presidential power, a continuation of the rule of lahich this country is blessed, it has proved to have been an adan even before my tenancy of the White House, when the Southern states atteanize a confederacy Once this new alliance had fired on the Federal troops in Fort Sumter the die was cast War was inevitable There was no way to return to the path of peace Thus began the Civil War in Aainst brother in deadly battle I hesitate to think what the outcome would have been had these hostilities been allowed to run their course; surely it would have meant a nation sundered and brave men dead by the thousands That is ould have happened in the very least At worst it would surely have meant a national catastrophe, the destruction of this country as we know it

But fate intervened What began as a small incident, the capture of the British mail packet Trent by the American warship the USS San Jacinto, was inflated, blown up out of all proportion by the British government As president, I would have been happy to release the two Confederate overnment, Lord Palmerston and Queen Victoria in particular, shown any understanding of our position Despite all of our efforts at peaceovernive in to threats and in power While we in America worked for a peaceful solution to our national differences, they appeared to want nothing less than a headlong confrontation While overnment was locked in battle with the Southern secessionists, we still had to deal with this n power

Alas, international peace was not to be Defying all logic, the forces of the n land

The world knohat happened next With our nation threatened froovern states, was ended The result was that a reunited United States fought back against these invaders, the common enemy It was not an easy war — none are — but in the end the strength of our common cause was such that the invaders were repulsed and hurled back from our shores Disheartened by our victories, the ene as well from Canada, when that nation declared its liberty from colonial rule

Throughout this war I learned to depend on General Williaht and to win He was respected and adreatest iarded hie and attitude toward the South, as well as his warrior skills — respected theto serve under hiainst our common enemy

Finally that invasion and as ended and ere at peace Or e? Unhappily this was not to be the end of our struggle The Lion of the British Empire had lost battles before — but had never lost a war Try as hard as they could, it appeared that the British simply could not s this defeat Despite all attempts at sweet reason upon our part, they persisted in their bellicosity to the extent that they atteh the war-torn land of Mexico

My generals, now more experienced and wise in the ways of war, devised a counterplan to contain this threat Instead of our ared down in a war of attrition on our borders, it was decided to take the war closer to the enean The proposed enemy invasion from Mexico was quickly terminated as the British realized that their forces were needed closer to home

I aainst the ene that much-stricken nation

I pray that this national rivalry between our two great countries will now end These last months my mind has been occupied with do the past August of the year 1864, the Deress nominated Judah P Benjamin as their presidential candidate: a worthyaid peace and reconciliation in the South would not have been attained It was my pleasure to be nominated by the Republican Party for a second ter for vice-president at my side

It was a hard-fought election I regret to say that my name is still anatheainst me rather than for the Democratic candidate for president However, the soldiers — both those recently discharged and those still in the service — looked upon me as their commander in chief, and their votes carried the day