The Northern army swaps generals, the war ebbs and flows, the citizens fall victim to the back and forth of gossip and public opinion, but the one constant is Abraham Lincoln. The Power of the Presidency Jethro and Ross Milton, among others, secure their faith ultimately in the president. All of the public figures are human, but the way in which the public reacts to them almost suggests that they are not. Hunt also draws a distinction between peoples' real motivations and their motivations according to the newspapers. The public opinion contributes to the general fatigue of the war, as everyone's intensities are drawn out by what they hear from others. The public thinks that the North will win the war, then suddenly they believe the South will win it. It also both criticizes and compliments the president. The public opinion alternately reveres and devastates every general involved in the war effort. Themes The Capriciousness of Public OpinionĮvery time Hunt describes a newspaper article or the general opinion about a battle or decision, she shows us just how erratic and extreme the public opinion can be.
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