Lincoln Page #33

INT/EXT. WHITE HOUSE PORTICO, FOYER, STAIRS - AFTERNOON

Bilbo puffs his way across the portico, through the door, and

up the stairs. Hay gains on him. It's become a race!

In the second floor hallway, Bilbo gets winded, and Hay

dashes past him. Hay reaches the doors to Lincoln's office

and flings them open.

INT. LINCOLN'S OFFICE, THE WHITE HOUSE - AFTERNOON

Lincoln is at his desk, working, when Hay bursts in. Bilbo

appears in the doorway, beet-red and gasping for air.

Hay's too winded to speak. Bilbo holds out the note, limp

with sweat, and brings it to Lincoln. Lincoln reads it.

LINCOLN:

This is precisely what Mr. Wood

wishes me to respond to?

103.

Tad runs into the room, excited by the commotion. He wraps

his arm around his father's neck, then tears wildly out of

the room.

LINCOLN (CONT'D)

Word for word? This is precisely

the assurance that he demands of

me?

W.N. BILBO

Yes sir.

As Nicolay heaves into the room in last place, wheezing

terribly, Lincoln deliberates for a moment, then writes a

note. He blots, folds and hands it to Hay, who immediately

reads it, Nicolay looking on.

LINCOLN:

Give this to Mr. Ashley.

Hay looks at Nicolay, who can't speak; he waves at Hay to

speak for him.

JOHN HAY:

I feel, um, I have to say, Mr.

Lincoln, that this -

(annoyed, impatient, to

BILBO:
)

Could you please just step

outside?!

W.N. BILBO

You gonna have a chat now, with

with the whole of the House of

Representatives waiting on that?

Nicolay continues gasping, trying to speak. He can't.

JOHN HAY:

(TO LINCOLN:
)

Making false representation to

Congress is, it's, um -

JOHN NICOLAY:

It's, it's -

LINCOLN:

Impeachable. I've made no false

representation.

JOHN HAY:

But there are -

(WHISPERING:
)

104.

There is a delegation from

Richmond.

LINCOLN:

Give me the note, Johnnie.

Hay gives Lincoln the note. Lincoln takes it, holding on to

Hay's hand; with his free hand, Lincoln passes the note to

Bilbo.

LINCOLN (CONT'D)

(TO BILBO:
)

Please deliver that to Mr. Ashley.

INT. THE HOUSE CHAMBER AND BALCONY - AFTERNOON

Bilbo, pushing past the pages, runs in, holding the note,

Ashley snatches it, reading as he makes his way to the

podium. All eyes are on Ashley.

JAMES ASHLEY:

From the President:

The chamber falls silent.

JAMES ASHLEY (CONT'D)

"So far as I know, there are no

peace commissioners in the city

nor are there likely to be."

Applause, booing, furious discussion.

GEORGE PENDLETON

"So far as I know-"?! That means

nothing! Are there commissioners

from the South or aren't there?!

In the balcony, Mary looks to Mrs. Keckley.

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!

JAMES ASHLEY:

Mr. Haddam? Is your faction

satisfied?

105.

Preston, in the balcony, hesitates. He looks at his daughter,

who gives him a questioning look: "Do you want this on your

head?"

Preston doesn't. He indicates to Haddam with a small shake of

his venerable head: "Drop it."

AARON HADDAM:

The conservative Republican

faction's satisfied, and we thank

Mr. Lincoln. I move to table Mr.

Wood's motion.

SCHUYLER COLFAX:

Tabled!

There's an angry response, but Wood and Pendleton sit,

thwarted.

JAMES ASHLEY:

Speaker Colfax, I order the main

question.

SCHUYLER COLFAX:

A motion has been made to bring the

bill for the Thirteenth Amendment

to a vote. Do I hear a second?

ASA VINTNER LITTON

I second the motion.

SCHUYLER COLFAX:

So moved, so ordered. The Clerk

will now -

(a rap of the gavel)

Quiet please.

The noise of the chamber and balcony reduce to a rumble.

SCHUYLER COLFAX (CONT'D)

The clerk will now call the roll

for voting.

Thaddeus Stevens sits silently, tired, concentrated: the

moment has come.

THE CLERK OF THE HOUSE

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