Civil War Letter to Governor Call, 1860

gress in the Revolution, at a
moment of extreme peril, clothed
General Washington with dicta-
torial powers. -- If Congress now,
by joint Resolution, would clothe
General Scott with Dictatorial
Powers for six months, it would
afford the best hope for a peace-
ful solution to the dread problem
now presented to the People of the
U.S. -- There is no constitutional
power to pass such a resolution,
but, in the present paralysis of
the executive & Congress, it might
by general acquiescence be assumed
There was in the opinion of