Thank you Eviatar Bach for sharing this Indeed, Lincoln was no saint, and certainly no abolitionist, as he is often portrayed in the national mythology. He did support abolition when it was politically convenient, however. Consider the following quotations (all found in Howard Zinns A Peoples History of the United States, chapter 9): From a resolution that Lincoln and his colleague Dan Stone introduced to the Illinois legislature when the abolition of slavery in Washington, DC was being considered: the institution of slavery is founded on injustice and bad policy, but... the promulgation of abolition doctrines tends to increase rather than abate its evils. (books.google.ca/books?id=-w_xPy-S3aEC&pg=PA355...) From a speech in 1858: I will say, then, that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races... there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race. At his first Inaugural Address, in 1861: I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so. In 1862: My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or destroy Slavery. Furthermore, the Emancipation Proclamation did not, as is commonly believed, free the slaves; it only freed the slaves in areas which were still fighting against the Union. It wasnt until the Thirteenth Amendment was passed that slavery was completely abolished.
Posted on: Mon, 16 Jun 2014 13:48:12 +0000