Lincoln (2012)

David Costabile: James Ashley

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Quotes 

• Abraham Lincoln : See what is before you. See the here and now, that's the hardest thing, the only thing that accounts. Abolishing slavery by constitutional provisions settles the fate for all coming time. Not only of the millions now in bondage, but of unborn millions to come. Two votes stand in its way. These votes must be procured.

  William Seward : We need two yeses. Three abstentions. Four yeses and one more abstention and the amendment will pass.

  Abraham Lincoln : You've got a night and a day and a night; several perfectly good hours! Now get the hell out of here and get them!

  James Ashley : Yes. But how?

  Abraham Lincoln : Buzzard's guts, man! I am the President of the United States of America! Clothed in immense power! You will procure me these votes.

• Abraham Lincoln : I did say *some* colored men, the intelligent, the educated, and veterans, I qualified it.

  James Ashley : Mr. Stevens is furious. He wants to know why you qualified it.

  Schuyler Colfax : No one heard the "intelligent" or the "educated" part. All they heard was the first time any president has ever made mention of Negro voting.

  Abraham Lincoln : Still, I wish I'd mentioned it in a better speech.

  James Ashley : Mr. Stevens also wants to know why you didn't make a better speech.

• Senator Bluff Wade : Whalers?

  James Ashley : That's what he said.

  Senator Bluff Wade : The man's never been near a whale ship in his life!

• George Pendleton : Instruct us, oh, Great Commoner. What is unnatural, in your opinion? Niggrahs casting ballots? Niggrah representatives? Is that natural, Stevens? Intermarriage?

  Thaddeus Stevens : What violates natural law? Slavery and you! Pendleton, you insult God. You unnatural noise.

  [an avalanche of boos and cheers as Democrats rally to Wood, Republicans rally to Stevens] 

  James Ashley : Mr. Colfax! Please, use your gavel! They are...

  [to Democrats] 

  James Ashley : You are out of order!

  Schuyler Colfax : [banging the gavel]  Order in the chamber!

  James Ashley : [shouting to Colfax]  Direct the sergeant of arms to suppress this!

  [to Democrats] 

  James Ashley : We are in session!

• Abraham Lincoln : Well, Mr Representative Ashley. Tell us the news from the Hill.

  James Ashley : Ah, well, the news...

  Abraham Lincoln : Why, for instance, is this thus, and what is the reason for this thusness?

• James Ashley : There aren't nearly enough votes.

  Abraham Lincoln : We're whalers, Mr Ashley.

  James Ashley : Whalers? As in - whales?

  Abraham Lincoln : We've been chasing this whale for a long time. And we finally placed a harpoon in the monster's back. It's in, James. It's in. We finish the deed now. We can't wait. Or with one flop of his tail, he'll smash the boat and send us all to eternity.

  William Seward : On the 31st of this month, of this year, put the amendment up for a vote.

• James Ashley : The "World", the "Herald", the "Times", New York, Chicago, the "Journal of Commerce", even your home-town paper's here, say you believe only in legal equality for all races, not racial equality. I beg you, sir. Compromise. Or, you risk it all.

• James Ashley : The President has answered you, sir. Your peace offer is a fiction.

  George Pendleton : That is not a denial. It is a lawyer's dodge.