Lincoln and Slavery
While the South may have seceded to defend the institution of slavery, as this was the stated reason of virtually all of the southern leaders, Lincoln certainly did not go to war to end slavery. His purpose for the war was to "save" the Union and to collect tariffs from the South.
"I acknowledge the constitutional rights of the States, not grudgingly, but fairly and fully, and I will give them any legislation for reclaiming their fugitive slaves." -- Abraham Lincoln in speeches at Peoria, Illinois, 16 October 1854, Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, (Volume 2, Page 255-256)
“The whole nation is interested that the best use shall be made of these territories. We want them for the homes of free white people.” -Abraham Lincoln in speeches at Peoria, Illinois 16 October 1854, Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, (Volume 2, Page 268)
In his first Inaugural Address, Lincoln repeated a statement that he had made previously at other speeches when he said:
"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." - Abraham Lincoln's Inaugural Address on the Capitol steps, March 4, 1861, Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, (vol. 4, p.263)
-First debate at Ottawa, Illinois, 21 August 1858, Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, (Vol 3, P. 16)
-Speech at Columbus, Ohio, 16 September 1859, Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, (vol. 3, p.402)
"Do the people of the South really entertain fear that a Republican administration would directly or indirectly interfere with their slaves, or with them about their slaves? If they do, I wish to assure you as once a friend, and still, I hope, not an enemy, that there is no cause for such fears. The South would be in no more danger in this respect than it was in the days of Washington." -- Letter from Abraham Lincoln to A.H. Stephens, Public and Private Letters of Alexander Stephens, p. 150
"My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union. I shall do less whenever I shall believe what I am doing hurts the cause, and I shall do more whenever I shall believe doing more will help the cause." - Abraham Lincoln, The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln edited by Roy P. Basler, Volume V, "Letter to Horace Greeley" (August 22, 1862), p. 388.
The Emancipation Proclamation
Author Frank Conner said in his book The South Under Siege 1830-2000 the following:
In 1861-62, Lincoln was balking the Radical Republican's attempts to enact measures that would lead to the abolition of slavery. Nonetheless, the Radicals were pressing him hard in this no-hold-barred power struggle between Congress and the presidency; and Lincoln needed to regain the initiative. The result was his Emancipation Proclamation issued on 22 September 1862 – to take effect on 1 January 1863.
If you read the Emancipation Proclamation closely, you see by its content that it was a meaningless document. It purported to free only those slaves in the territory then controlled by the Confederate States of America – over which the U.S. Government had no control whatsoever. The slaves over which the U.S. Government did have jurisdiction remained bound in slavery under the U.S. flag. The proclamation contained no anti-slavery rhetoric, and it made no claim that abolition was now one of the aims of the North's war. And on 1 January 1863, when the proclamation went into effect, Lincoln further exempted from emancipation the slaves in all of the additional Southern lands that had been conquered by the Union Army after the proclamation was first issued.
Lincoln stated repeatedly that he had issued the Emancipation Proclamation only as an urgent military expediency, and not as a long-term U.S. Government policy. Even he regarded it as blatantly unconstitutional.
Lincoln intended the Emancipation Proclamation to serve four purposes – none of which had anything to do with emancipating the slaves.
1. First, was his fond hope that it would trigger massive slave uprisings in the South
2. The second purpose was to facilitate the recruitment of free blacks into the Union Army.
3. Third, the proclamation was designed to keep the British and French from recognizing and supporting the Confederacy.
4. Lincoln's fourth purpose in issuing the Emancipation Proclamation was to defang the arguments and accusations against him by the Radical Republicans in Congress who demanded abolition.
The Emancipation Proclamation did serve Lincoln's immediate purpose – which clearly did not include abolition.
"I acknowledge the constitutional rights of the States, not grudgingly, but fairly and fully, and I will give them any legislation for reclaiming their fugitive slaves." -- Abraham Lincoln in speeches at Peoria, Illinois, 16 October 1854, Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, (Volume 2, Page 255-256)
“The whole nation is interested that the best use shall be made of these territories. We want them for the homes of free white people.” -Abraham Lincoln in speeches at Peoria, Illinois 16 October 1854, Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, (Volume 2, Page 268)
In his first Inaugural Address, Lincoln repeated a statement that he had made previously at other speeches when he said:
"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." - Abraham Lincoln's Inaugural Address on the Capitol steps, March 4, 1861, Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, (vol. 4, p.263)
-First debate at Ottawa, Illinois, 21 August 1858, Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, (Vol 3, P. 16)
-Speech at Columbus, Ohio, 16 September 1859, Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, (vol. 3, p.402)
"Do the people of the South really entertain fear that a Republican administration would directly or indirectly interfere with their slaves, or with them about their slaves? If they do, I wish to assure you as once a friend, and still, I hope, not an enemy, that there is no cause for such fears. The South would be in no more danger in this respect than it was in the days of Washington." -- Letter from Abraham Lincoln to A.H. Stephens, Public and Private Letters of Alexander Stephens, p. 150
"My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union. I shall do less whenever I shall believe what I am doing hurts the cause, and I shall do more whenever I shall believe doing more will help the cause." - Abraham Lincoln, The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln edited by Roy P. Basler, Volume V, "Letter to Horace Greeley" (August 22, 1862), p. 388.
The Emancipation Proclamation
Author Frank Conner said in his book The South Under Siege 1830-2000 the following:
In 1861-62, Lincoln was balking the Radical Republican's attempts to enact measures that would lead to the abolition of slavery. Nonetheless, the Radicals were pressing him hard in this no-hold-barred power struggle between Congress and the presidency; and Lincoln needed to regain the initiative. The result was his Emancipation Proclamation issued on 22 September 1862 – to take effect on 1 January 1863.
If you read the Emancipation Proclamation closely, you see by its content that it was a meaningless document. It purported to free only those slaves in the territory then controlled by the Confederate States of America – over which the U.S. Government had no control whatsoever. The slaves over which the U.S. Government did have jurisdiction remained bound in slavery under the U.S. flag. The proclamation contained no anti-slavery rhetoric, and it made no claim that abolition was now one of the aims of the North's war. And on 1 January 1863, when the proclamation went into effect, Lincoln further exempted from emancipation the slaves in all of the additional Southern lands that had been conquered by the Union Army after the proclamation was first issued.
Lincoln stated repeatedly that he had issued the Emancipation Proclamation only as an urgent military expediency, and not as a long-term U.S. Government policy. Even he regarded it as blatantly unconstitutional.
Lincoln intended the Emancipation Proclamation to serve four purposes – none of which had anything to do with emancipating the slaves.
1. First, was his fond hope that it would trigger massive slave uprisings in the South
2. The second purpose was to facilitate the recruitment of free blacks into the Union Army.
3. Third, the proclamation was designed to keep the British and French from recognizing and supporting the Confederacy.
4. Lincoln's fourth purpose in issuing the Emancipation Proclamation was to defang the arguments and accusations against him by the Radical Republicans in Congress who demanded abolition.
The Emancipation Proclamation did serve Lincoln's immediate purpose – which clearly did not include abolition.