Lincoln : How did Lincoln change congressman Yeamans' mind

Toward the end , with the vote days away, Lincoln decides to personally enter the fray, with personal appeals to some Congressman he thinks he can sway, one is the aptly named :George Yeaman. Yeaman earlier in the movie makes a speech against the amendment , that sounds similar falling to the falling dominos logic that got us into vietnam, Yeaman fears that the amendment will lead in quick succession to blacks getting the vote and then women getting the vote, and many in the congress seem to agree with him.He also thinks the amendment passing at that time will hinder all peace talks, and back the south and its leaders into a corner.
Lincoln targets him as an intelligent well spoken man, and one he feels he can persuade to come to his side. Lincoln invites Yeaman to the oval office and talks to him not as Presidennt to congressman , but as man to man.
he sits at the edge of the desk, rising tall over Yeaman( lincoln was 6 foot 4), Lincoln has a brief talk with the congressman, the President talks about his relationship with his own father, Lincoln says that his father wasn't a kind man, but even so he despised slavery, he also tells Yeaman that he once saw a boat full of chained slaves sailing down the river on the way to the slave markets in new orleans and that it made him physically sick, we know how intelligent and calculating Lincoln is, but except for sharing some personal info about his own life, and his story about the slaves, what exactly changes Yeamans mind.
Yeaman first softly states his Aye vote, when the speaker asks him to repeat it, he practically roars catharticly: "Ayyyyeeee"
In contrast the congressman that Lincoln visits at the mans house, a man who is in sorrow over the loss of his brother, lincoln says that if the man votes yes, and helps ends slavery then the war his brother fought can be considered a great crusade, and his brother would have died in a noble cause. Yet that man votes No, interesting contrast.

Thoughtful post, Lonnie. And yes, I cringed when the guy thundered,"AYE!" as well, even though I generally have a high schmaltz threshold and willingly tear up at the most contrived, unrealistic and manipulative dialogue. I'm not a Lincoln scholar, but people often behave in a manner inconsistent with every reasonable expectation. The kindest interpretation would be that this is what Spielberg and his writers were trying to depict.

I think its an illustration, you had two different people, one was mr Yeoman, who was an educated man, with an open mind, and the other congressman who admitted that he was prejudice, The Prejudice man could not change, even though Lincoln gave him a chance for closure, so it was his race hatred that poisoned his judgement, the other man-Yeoman, who was intelligent, and his mind was not shackled by hatred, had the capacity to change, and through a simple story Lincoln is able to show him right from wrong.
And what is the result- the prejudiced man is stuck in his grief, psychologically he is oppressed by his grief , and as so is in bondage=much like the slaves, Lincoln tried to free him, but his own prejudice held him back. Yeoman on the hand votes Aye- and when he does he has a catharsis that frees him and frees his soul, he has the look of a man who has unburdened himself of all his cares and troubles.
It is a perfect example of how prejudice creates its own personal prison , which keeps the prejudiced trapped in a prison of ignorance, while the man with the open mind is free.

Very insightful observations thanks for sharing.

I just watched this movie, and thought that was one of the greatest scenes! Just brilliant!

-Gary

Do you remember the spell?
Asa Nisi Masa Asa Nisi Masa sh!

The scene in the oval office was a brilliant way to show how Lincoln's personality, his words, and his character could influence people just by an encounter with him.

The point is that Yeoman could not be bought , nor was he a man with prior prejudices, he was more kindred spirit to Lincoln then someone like Thadeous Steven who was stubborn and whose mind was set, Yeoman and Stevens are counterpoints , the film does a very good job at showing the entirely different personalities that were all working for the same cause.
Yeoman was a good man, who had spent a lifetime talking to the wrong people, in Lincoln in that moment he saw a father figure giving him good advice.
Lincoln spends the entire film -looking for a replacement for his own departed son Willie-he began to feel every death as the death of his own sons death over and over.
When Yeoman says in his speech before the congress-that slavery disgusts him-that was all Lincoln needed to play upon.

But Stevens was in favor of the Amendment from the begininng it's just that he and Lincoln had different motives for it. Do you remeber what Lincoln told Stevens at the party. We can have our fights latter but concentrate what we have in common right now.

But poor Stevens, the film made it seem that Lincoln once in a while made fun of him, when they send one guy to meet Thadeous Stevens to complete what they wanted Lincoln says something like had pity of that guy and then laughed

Lincoln who had been sitting on the desk towering above the congressman, suddenly whirls and parks his lanky frame in the chair next to Yeaman, and looks him straight in the eyes.
Lincoln: " I read your speech George, Negros and the vote, thats a puzzle."
Yeaman : " Nono,,,bubut.. Negroes can't vote Mr Lincoln. You're not suggesting we enfranchise coloured people?"
Lincoln is looking Yeaman in the eyes and Yeaman as looking right back , it is here in the eyes that the real action is taking place, have you ever looked into somebodies eyes, rather then their face, looked into their eyes is like looking into their souls it is ver personal , it is not something must people do.
Lincoln: " i'm asking only that you disenthrall yourself from the slave powers."
Lincoln" whats before us now is the vote on the 13th amendment ," Lincoln is talking passionately now," It's going to be so very close," Lincoln looks sad for a moment almost as if he is imagining what it would feel like if the Amendment did not pass and this opportunity was lost forever, he looks down and then looks Yeaman in the eye one last time, " See what you can do," and then gets up and begins walking away, Yeaman watches him, it would seem to him that suddenly his vote is the difference - the deciding vote in the moral tug-a-war. Maybe Yeaman didn't know the vote would be close at all, before this meeting, and he only saw himself one of many, now Lincoln has told him -he could be the difference in the whole thing-its all on his shoulders. There is definitely a sense of dawning in his eyes, and he must now really make a true heartfelt-thought out decision -not just for himself, or his state or his time-but for the sole future of his country.

One of my favorite scenes.

A interesting thing about the real Yeaman is that soon after the events depicted in the film he was appointed United States Minister to Denmark.

Frank: Just a man.
Harmonica: An ancient race.

I always thought that that last part of the scene in the oval office with Lincoln walking away from Yeaman, and Yeaman looking at him in that way- its kind of like the way Yeaman would remember that moment-and how he would tell the tale over and over again of how he came to the aide of the great Lincoln-and in knowing Lincolns fate was glad he had helped ease a troubled mind-and gave lincoln that sweet measure of blissful victory before fate took him away

Yes, Yeaman was rewarded for his vote by being given a well-paid diplomatic post in a small but interesting country. That was what Lincoln meant when he said he was "clothed in immense power."