Jimmy, Lincoln did not preside over the destruction of the south. He was very much opposed to the retribution wanted by much of the north and even members of his own cabinet. If he had not been killed I am sure things would have been much different. He intended for the south to be treated as a prodigal son, not a treasonous mob. To this day there are a lot of interesting conspiracy theories about his assassination with the motivation being his opposition to punishing the south. I believe that if he had lived and had his policies stay in place we would not have had the oppression of the post war south and resulting race problems in this country.