That evening. An anteroom to the East Room of the White House, where a post-inaugural reception is being held and from which emanates a stupendous cacophony of conversation and music. Guests criss-cross the room, coming and going, as do a succession of liveried servants carrying trays of food and drink. After a while, the strikingly distinguished figure of Frederick Douglass appears. He’s in his late forties, formally dressed, with a mane of hair like a biblical prophet. He’s accompanied by an elegant and well-dressed woman, Mrs Dorsey. They pause for a moment to orient themselves, then, as they begin to move off, President Lincoln, in his frock coat and formal necktie, appears in the doorway behind them.
Lincoln Mr Douglass!
Douglass and Mrs Dorsey turn, surprised.
Not leaving already, are you?
Douglass I must deliver Mrs Dorsey back to her husband; they are returning to Philadelphia.
Lincoln I can’t let you go without asking you: how did you like my inaugural address?
Douglass Well, I …
Lincoln I saw you down there in the crowd; I pointed you out to Vice President Johnson.
Douglass acknowledges this with a courtly nod. Lincoln waits, but finally breaks the silence.
Well? What did you think? I assure you, Douglass, there is no man in the country whose opinion I value more than yours. And I know you will speak your mind.
Douglass takes his time: finally answers.
Douglass Mr Lincoln, that was a sacred effort.
Lincoln seems genuinely relieved.
Lincoln I’m glad you liked it.
DouglassI have not been so stirred since that cold New Year’s Day in Boston when we heard your Emancipation Proclamation.
LincolnI don’t believe my speech will be immediately popular: men are not flattered when you draw attention to a difference of purpose between the Almighty and themselves.
Douglass No: it is one for the ages.
Lincoln turns to Mrs Dorsey.
Lincoln I was especially anxious to glean Mr Douglass’s opinion; I know he always says exactly what he thinks, he once described me as tardy, hesitating and vacillating.
Mrs Dorsey Never uses one word if he can use three.
Lincoln I was forced to plead guilty to the first two charges; but I did have to draw the line at vacillating.
Douglass I withdrew the epithet, Mr President.
Lincoln So you did, Mr Douglass, most gracefully.
Douglass I regret ever having criticised you, sir.
Lincoln Come now, Mr Douglass, the hurly-burly of robust debate is surely one of the glories of our democracy.
Douglass I will allow that, Mr President.
Lincoln And tell me, Mr Douglass, what would you most like to ensue from the second term we have been fortunate enough to secure? I leave aside the successful conclusion of the war, which my generals assure me is imminent.
Douglass Suffrage, sir. Voting rights for all free men of colour.
Lincoln Well, I have little doubt you will continue to find me hesitating and tardy, but it is my intention to begin gingerly advancing along that path.
Douglass It’s a profound satisfaction to me to hear you say that, Mr President. But we’ve detained you long enough from your guests.
Lincoln No, no, my friend, our opportunities for conversation are so rare, we must make the most of them. Last time we met, I was most impressed with your plan to send scouts to recruit slaves to join our armies.
Douglass That was your idea, Mr President.
Lincoln Was it? I could have sworn it was yours; in any event, it was an excellent initiative.
Douglass I look forward to the prospect of further discussions, when you are more at your leisure.
Lincoln Of course; and I do apologise for the difficulties you experienced when you arrived.
Douglass Please don’t trouble yourself, Mr President …
Lincoln Oh, but it does trouble me: what did the officers say to you?
Douglass It’s of no consequence, sir, I’m sure they thought …
Lincoln Please, Mr Douglass, tell me what they said.
Douglass They said their orders were to admit no … persons of my colour to the White House.
Lincoln Is that exactly what they said?
Douglass That was their meaning.
Lincoln turns to Mrs Dorsey.
Lincoln An absurd thing to say: this is Mr Douglass’s third visit here, at least.
Mrs Dorsey It was nothing we hadn’t heard many times before, Mr President.
Lincoln It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mrs Dorsey. I hope perhaps to sample your husband’s celebrated cuisine when next I’m in Philadelphia.
Mrs Dorsey It would be an honour, Mr President.
Lincoln shakes her hand and then takes Douglass’s hand in both of his.
Lincoln Always happy to see you, Douglass: and I want to tell you, if our plans come to fruition, you need feel under no obligation to vote Republican.
Douglass I can’t imagine what circumstances would make me vote any other way, Mr President.
He turns, takes Mrs Dorsey’s arm and leaves the room with her. Lincoln watches them go, then, with the slightest trace of reluctance, steels himself to return to the clamour of the East Room. But before he can set off, Mary Todd Lincoln appears, a once-handsome woman of forty-five, wearing a spectacular white silk dress with a bertha of point lace and a lace shawl. She has jasmine and purple violets in her hair and carries an ermine fan with silver spangles.
Mary Lincoln There you are – your guests are asking for you, what are you doing skulking out here?
Lincoln I was just saying goodbye to Mr Douglass, Mother.
Mary Lincoln Mr Frederick Douglass?
Lincoln Yes.
Mary Lincoln Where is he?
Lincoln He just left.
Mary Lincoln But he was the one person I particularly wanted to meet.
Lincoln Oh.
Mary Lincoln Why did you not introduce me to him?
Lincoln I assumed he had been presented. I’m sorry, Mother. It was an oversight. The poor fellow had the greatest difficulty getting in at all.
Mary Lincoln What do you mean?
Lincoln Two policemen at the door told him no Negroes in the White House. He refused to leave. In the end, someone let me know he was down there and I had him brought up.
Mary Lincoln Did he give you their names?
Mary Lincoln The policemen.
Lincoln No, why?
Mary Lincoln To have them dismissed.
Lincoln frowns at her.
They must be dismissed. This kind of conduct cannot be tolerated.
Lincoln I suppose they were only doing what they thought was right.
Mary Lincoln It’s not good enough.
Lincoln I thought you said our guests were fading away without me. Shall we return?
Mary Lincoln By all means.
She takes his arm. They head back towards the noise and the light.
I shall have this looked into.