ABSTRACT This research contrasts two times President Abraham Lincoln suppressed the American Civil War opposition press. Original letters from Lincoln and those involved in the suppressions shed light on Lincoln’s involvement. The findings suggest that Lincoln himself allowed press suppression to continue even when it would influence a local election. Contrary to some beliefs, it appears Lincoln did not soften his approach to press suppression during the latter part of the Civil War. The question “What did the President know and when did he know it?” has never been properly answered. This research examines the actual letters among suppression principals including President Lincoln to acquire a feeling for what was specifically being said, and not being said, at the time, specifically, Lincoln’s attitude toward free speech. At the time, some suggested Lincoln allowed speech to be suppressed, while others have claimed he did not. Many books have documented Lincoln’s public words on the subject, but Lincoln’s private letters are even more revealing in the case of press suppression.

中文翻译：

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“决心压制一切言论自由”：林肯的私人信件揭示了对报纸审查制度的积极使用

摘要这项研究与亚伯拉罕·林肯总统两次压制美国内战反对派新闻形成鲜明对比。林肯的原始信件和那些参与镇压的信件为林肯的介入提供了启示。调查结果表明，林肯本人甚至允许压制新闻继续进行，即使这会影响地方选举。与某些观点相反，内战后期，林肯似乎并未放松其压制新闻的方式。问题“总统知道什么，他什么时候知道？” 从来没有得到正确的答案。这项研究调查了包括林肯总统在内的镇压校长之间的实际来信，以使人们对当时所说的，不是所说的，特别是林肯对言论自由的态度有一种感觉。当时，有些人建议林肯允许压制言论，而另一些人则声称他没有。许多书都记载了林肯在这个问题上的公开言论，但是在新闻压制的情况下，林肯的私人信件甚至更能说明问题。