Issue

THE PICTURE IS MORE HEARTENING THAN ALL THE LITTLE ONES.

A long-time Republican-party insider and close student of its past discusses how the party has changed over the years, for better and for worse, and where it may be headed.

He told President Lincoln that he was better than any other officer on the field at Bull Run, and he got the Army’s top job. He built a beaten force into a proud one, and stole a march on Robert E. Lee with it. He was 24 hours away from winning the Civil War. Then, he fell apart.