Was Abraham Lincon for or against slavery system?

Answer 1

~Read most anything the man said on the subject. His position was no secret and he sure never tried to hide it. Look no further than his first inaugural address wherein he said, quoting himself from innumerable prior speeches:

"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."

Earlier, in Illinois, he said

"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."

He acknowledged repeatedly that, if it would end the war and preserve the union, he would endorse slavery. As late as August, 1862, he said

"My paramount object, is to save the Union, and not either destroy or save slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing the slaves, I would do it. If I could save the Union by freeing some and leaving others in slavery, I would do it. If I could save it by freeing all, I would do that. What I do about slavery and the colored race, I do because it helps save the Union." [He made no bones about his preference, either publicly or privately - he desired the second option.]

He said to Wendell Phillips, the Boston abolitionist, that the Emancipation Proclamation was "the greatest folly of my life".

The Emancipation Proclamation itself preserved the institution of slavery wherever it existed except in those areas "in rebellion". Of course, the Emancipation Proclamation did not free the slaves, nor was it intended to. That was done by the Thirteenth Amendment after Lincoln was dead.

Abe was, however, against the expansion of slavery.

Anyone who believes Lincoln opposed the continuation of slavery in those states wherein it existed simply knows nothing of Lincoln, the Civil War or American history of the period. The mythology and legend which has grown around Lincoln may try to ignore his views on slavery, but the documentation is there all the same. No student of history or of Lincoln would call Abe an abolitionist.

Answer 2

Oscar Himpflewitz provided quite a good answer.

As with many others from before the Declaration of Independence Lincoln wrestled with this issue. There was no simple answer to the question slavery in the Americas. Like it or not, it was that ‘peculiar’ system deeply interwoven within the colonies and the ensuing States.

Those who invest Lincoln with an overriding obsession to eliminate slavery to the degree that it was a significant causative factor of the American War of the 1860s do Lincoln and the country a disservice because it wasn’t. The war was driven by Lincoln’s need (as well as the need of others) to maintain the Union at all costs.

Ever the consummate politician Lincoln (after the war was initiated) used the slavery issue to inflame the populace to generate a steady stream of troops for the canon fodder which was a signature of this war. The people (of the North) were growing increasingly tired of the growing death list and system of personal income tax which had been instituted, and the increasing intrusion into the private lives of individuals in a manner extra-constitutional. The Emancipation Proclamation was a tool in the effort. It was a tool which kept the British from actively siding with the Confederacy.

As Oscar Himpflewitz stated no slaves were truly freed until the application of the 13th Amendment in 1865 after Lincoln’s death. With the end of the war the real destruction of the South began with the intent to destroy the culture (beyond slavery) as Lincoln ordered Sherman to do as a major goal of his infamous march to the sea. In our times such efforts would be considered war crimes, but not then. More over, the acts of the Union federal government tore the Constitution of the United States asunder as can be demonstrated by looking at the 14th Amendment which never met Constitutional requirements for ratification, but rather was sort of made valid by militarily removing some of the duly elected legislatures in some of the Confederate States and forcefully replacing them with hand picked members who followed the demands to vote for the 14th Amendment. This was justified, legally, not Constitutionally, but by the force derived from the ‘right of conquest.” This was defined in the case of Texas v. White 1869. The point here is that none of this had anything to do with slavery but rather was unrestrained punishment for those States which had legally (constitutionally) seceded to form a new sovereign country.

Answer 3

Against and anyone saying otherwise is full of caa caa - - - Lincoln's view of ****** was evolving which is one of his strongest traits. Lincoln learned from the World around him and so his views of Slavery changed from say 1840 to 1850 and by the mid 1850s he was fully committed to seeing slavery ended ... It should be stated clearly that Lincoln fell afoul of the Colonization Scheme. Even now in 2007 there are those who say ****** whould 'go back' to Africa without stopping to realize they are Americans. In fact by the 1850s a majority of Slaves were FOURTH or more Generaion Americans. America was their home and Abraham Lincoln eventually realized that Colonzation was a dumb idea.
Lincoln was undecided exactly how to deal with Slavery, he could continue the status quo and not allow Slavery to grow beyond the borders of 'the South' but that was clearly not working.

IMPORTANT - - - to truly understand why 'A NATION CANNOT exist Half Slave & Half Free,' paraphrasing :Lincoln, is because A) It was not a half & half situation by 1860, the South was about 33 % of the Nation, but the Biggie, the Forgotten Issue, and the reason was B) the status of ****** outside the South - - - what if, and it happened often, a Southerner tried to take a ***** out of Massachussetts or Ohio or whatever, claiming they were a fugitive. That was the issue the vexed Lincoln among others and it was a primary reason Lincln was against slavery.

///--------- O .!. O ------------ \\\ Peace,.........................

Answer 4

See, why the South jumped into war, even today we still haven't figured out what was his intention. True politican/lawyer. They say alot but never let anyone know what they really think. The Native Americans called it speaking with forked tongue.

Answer 5

he was against slavery as his position in a series of debates in 1850s testified