Lincoln Page #22

the Union, they came after me

with gelding knives!

Hawkins runs away from Bilbo. Bilbo chases him.

CLAY HAWKINS W.N. BILBO

(to himself, as he YOU DO RIGHT, CLAY HAWKINS!

runs:
) AND MAKE YOURSELF SOME MONEY

Any other job. IN THE BARGAIN -

CLAY HAWKINS:

(turning back to Bilbo:)

I want to do right! But I got no

courage!!!

Hawkins runs away, sobbing. Bilbo pursues.

W.N. BILBO

Wait!! You wanted, what was it, tax

man for the Western Reserve, hell

you can have the whole state of

Ohio if you -

Bilbo stops, winded.

W.N. BILBO (CONT'D)

Aw, crap.

EXT. IN A BACK ALLEY, SOMEWHERE IN WASHINGTON - AFTERNOON

Seward, smoking unhappily, strides toward his carriage, with

Schell, Latham and Bilbo in pursuit.

68.

SEWARD:

Eleven votes?! Two days ago we had

twelve!! What happened?

RICHARD SCHELL ROBERT LATHAM

It's the goddamned rumors There are defections in the

regarding the Richmond ranks... Yes! The peace

delegation. offer!

SEWARD ROBERT LATHAM

Groundless. I told you that. And yet the rumors persist.

RICHARD SCHELL:

They are ruining us.

RICHARD SCHELL:

Among the few remaining

representatives who seem remotely

plausible there is a perceptible

increase in resistance.

Seward has reached the carriage, Bilbo alongside him. Before

the Secretary of State can climb on board, Bilbo shuts the

carriage door. Seward is outraged.

W.N. BILBO

Resistance, hell! Thingamabob

Hollister, Dem from Indiana? I

approached him, the sumbitch near

to murdered me!

EXT. A STREET IN GEORGETOWN - NIGHT

Bilbo is talking to HAROLD HOLLISTER (D, IN), who pulls out a

derringer. Bilbo bolts, dropping the folder. He stops, runs

back, and bends to retrieve the folio as Hollister fires the

gun over Bilbo's head.

EXT. IN A BACK ALLEY, SOMEWHERE IN WASHINGTON - AFTERNOON

Seward, now inside the carriage, slams the door.

SEWARD:

Perhaps you push too hard.

W.N. BILBO

I push nobody. Perhaps we need

reinforcements. If Jeff Davis wants

to cease hostilities, who do you

think'll give a genuine solid sh*t

to free slaves?

69.

SEWARD:

Get back to it, and good day,

gentlemen.

Schell and Latham lean in to the carriage.

RICHARD SCHELL:

We are at an impasse.

ROBERT LATHAM:

Tell Lincoln to deny the rumors.

Publicly.

RICHARD SCHELL:

Tell us what you expect of us.

SEWARD:

I expect you to do your work! And

to have sufficient sense and taste

not to presume to instruct the

President. Or me.

Schell steps up on the running board, intent.

RICHARD SCHELL:

Is there a Confederate offer or

not?

EXT. THE JAMES RIVER DOCK AT CITY POINT, VIRGINIA - DAY

ULYSSES S. GRANT, 43, 5'7", beard, uniform worn and rumpled,

crosses the dock, followed by three aides.

They approach the gangway for the River Queen.

INT. THE RIVER QUEEN SALOON, CITY POINT, VIRGINIA - DAY

Grant and the commissioners stand in an expansive cabin at

the stern, patriotically decorated, large windows.

Grant hands the commissioners' peace proposal back to them.

He's scribbled notes all over the document.

GRANT:

I suggest you work some changes to

your proposal before you give it to

the President.

R.M.T HUNTER

We're eager to be on our way to

Washington.

70.

ALEXANDER STEPHENS

Did Mr. Lincoln tell you to tell us

this, General Grant?

Grant fixes Stephens with a look - bemused, a little

disappointed.

GRANT:

It says..."securing peace for our

two countries." And it goes on like

that.

ALEXANDER STEPHENS

I don't know what you -

GRANT:

There's just one country. You and

I, we're citizens of that country.

I'm fighting to protect it from

armed rebels. From you.

ALEXANDER STEPHENS

But Mr. Blair told us, he, he told

President Davis we were -

GRANT:

A private citizen like Preston

Blair can say what he pleases,

since he has no authority over

anything. If you want to discuss

peace with President Lincoln,

consider revisions.

He lights a cigar.

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