An old essay I wrote on Abe Lincoln and abolitionism

[Zuni]

I think Abe Lincoln was a true genius, and perhaps the best leader the US has ever had. I admire the man greatly. I think he was a true abolitionist, although people who do not know enough about him challenge this.
When he gave the speech 'I would save the Union without freeing any slave' many do not know that he finished the speech by saying that he would fight slavery until it was extinct. That is often ommitted and not mantioned. For Lincoln, it was not Unionism or Abolitionism--It was both. They were intertwined and dependent on each other.
Here goes.

Abe Lincoln---The Abolitionist

In my opinion, Abraham Lincoln was a true abolitionist, as committed to the extinction of slavery in the United States as even the most radical abolitionist. But Lincoln was a pragmatist however, first and foremost, and he did not want to divide the Union any further. Unionism was as important as abolitionism in Lincoln’s politics. He adopted a campaign strategy and public persona that put him squarely in the moderate camp, making him far more electable than the more radical Fremont in 1856. Lincoln believed that slavery could be abolished without radical measures, nature just had to be allowed to take it’s course. In general, Lincoln’s position was that if he could get elected, then he could withdraw federal support for the institution and prevent it from entering the western territories, which would eventually kill slavery off.
Abraham Lincoln was a very skilled politician. One reason he was so popular was that he did not mix himself up in political conflicts. (Foner, Free, 214) He was also acceptable to all of the wings of the Republican Party: to the radicals, he had staunch anti-slavery credentials and to the conservatives he was a skilled politician who wouldn’t pursue extremist policies if it put the country in danger. Lincoln’s public persona was that of a moderate, a grand gesture designed to attract Whigs and conservatives to the party. He made speeches outlining a conservative and gradualist approach to abolition. (Fehrenbacher, Republican, 298) Many observers, however, regarded him as closer to the radical side of the party. (Foner, Free, 214) Lincoln even stated that the ‘hatred to the institution of slavery’ was at the center of Republican politics.(Foner, Free, 215) Republicans and those close to him knew Lincoln was a true hardliner when it came to ending slavery. In Horace Greeley’s paper, a noted abolitionist journal, he was described as being ‘ahead of the anti-slavery sentiment of the Republican Party, rather than behind it.’ (Foner, Free, 215)
But Lincoln was also very concerned about the Union itself. He even took measures to try to calm the south to prevent an uprising after his election. He notified pro-slavery leaders that he would not oppose an amendment prohibiting federal intervention against slavery in states that it had already existed. (Fehrenbacher, Republican, 305) Despite his strong abolitionist beliefs, Lincoln thought southern secession would not only destroy the Union, but if successful it might be impossible to end slavery. That is why Lincoln developed his plan to stop the spread of the institution, which he often compared to a cancer. (Fehrenbacher, Republican, 300). In his belief, by using a gradualist approach of stopping the spread of slavery, by ending the Fugitive slave acts and by restricting interstate slave trading, the institution would die eventually. By using this method, he also hoped to prevent a civil war or southern rebellion. And Lincoln presented himself as a man devoted to the Union first, rather than a moral crusader. Because of the attempts at conciliation and his more moderate appearance, he has often been misinterpreted by history. (Foner, Free, 216)
Lincoln’s main goal was to get elected, because he knew that he could not make policy reality if he did not hold office. To be elected, he would have to pick up areas that the radical John Fremont had lost in 1856. And to this he had to appeal to a cross section of the nation. Fremont failed to carry such important states as Pennsylvania, Illinois and New Jersey. (Foner, Free, 216) To win these less radical states, the Republicans had to convert Democrats, former Whigs and swing voters to their cause. Lincoln understood this instinctively. They campaigned as anti-slavery Whigs in many areas. (Foner, Free, 216)
Lincoln, in my opinion was devoted to seeing the institution of slavery be destroyed in his lifetime. But he realized that to accomplish this, he first had to be elected, and then had to deal with a very hostile portion of the nation. So he adopted a moderate political program, a conciliatory tone and set out to campaign. He tailored his speeches and his public persona to appeal to the crowd he was with. This often leads to confusion about who Abraham Lincoln was and what he intended to accomplish. But truly, after going over the information at hand, I believe quite strongly that he was a firm, uncompromising abolitionist who knew how to play politics.

Bibliography
Fehrenbacher, D.E. The Republican Revolution. From the Slaveholding Republic.(page 295-338) New York. Oxford University Press.
Foner, Eric. Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Men. 1995. New York. Oxford University Press.

[Padraig18]

1. Great essay!

I hope you received an 'A', because you deserved one! :thumbsup:

[Zuni]

2. Thank you, sir

I appreciate the compliments

[Padraig18]

4. YW!

Thank you for sharing. :hi:

[Whitacre D_WI]

3. Well done.

And historically accurate, as well.