Abraham Lincoln's rare intellectually honest assessment of the south and its political position
It is well known by all who are honest with themselves over the history of Lincoln's psychology and mindset in the years leading up to war that Abraham Lincoln certainly did not concern himself with Slavery in the cotton states/deep south. Of course, like most Whig's/Republicans he was against the spread of slavery to the territories. The question of the morality of slavery was not an issue with the masses both North and South in 1850s America. The issue was what to do with the blacks once freed. Northern states clearly did not welcome people of color (free or slave) in their state under any circumstances, and most Northern states created laws to keep people of color out. This question of "what to do with the 3 million slaves" was one of the biggest problems of the day. Abraham Lincoln was in favor of deporting all people of color off the continent. Lincoln did not view people of color as his equal he states:
"What next? (speaking of what to do with all the slaves once they are freed) Free them, and make them politically and socially our equals? My own feelings will not admit of this; and if mine would, we well know that those of the great mass of white people will not." -Abraham Lincoln --Abraham Lincoln Ottawa Illinois August 21, 1858
Most American politicians, Lincoln included, simply did not have a good answer for the issue. It is in the same speech that the above quote was taken in which Lincoln speaks the truth of the southern people. The gist of the speech is that the southern people were not at fault for any part of the slavery issue. He continues to state if the Northern people were in the same situation, they would do the exact same.
"Before proceeding, let me say I think I have no prejudice against the Southern people. They are just what we would be in their situation. If slavery did not now exist among them, they would not introduce it. If it did now exist amongst us, we should not instantly give it up. This I believe of the masses North and South. ... When Southern people tell us they are no more responsible for the origin of slavery than we, I acknowledge the fact. When it is said that the institution exists, and that it is very difficult to get rid of it, in any satisfactory way, I can understand and appreciate the saying. I surely will not blame them for not doing what I should not know how to do myself. If all earthly power were given me, I should not know what to do, as to the existing institution. My first impulse would be to free all the slaves, and send them to Liberia,-to their own native land. But a moment's reflection would convince me, that whatever of high hope, (as I think there is) there may be in this, in the long run, its sudden execution is impossible. If they were all landed there in a day, they would all perish in the next ten days; and there are not surplus shipping and surplus money enough in the world to carry them there in many times ten days. What then? Free them all, and keep them among us as underlings? Is it quite certain that this betters their condition? I think I would not hold one in slavery at any rate; yet the point is not clear enough to me to denounce people upon. What next? Free them, and make them politically and socially our equals? My own feelings will not admit of this; and if mine would, we well know that those of the great mass of white people will not. Whether this feeling accords with justice and sound judgment, is not the sole question, if, indeed, it is any part of it. A universal feeling, whether well or ill-founded, cannot be safely disregarded. We cannot, then, make them equals. It does seem to me that systems of gradual emancipation might be adopted; but for their tardiness in this, I will not undertake to judge our brethren of the South." -Abraham Lincoln Ottawa Illinois August 21, 1858
The lessen learned from the speech is that Abraham Lincoln held no resentment nor placed any blame to the southern people on the issue of slavery and how it was being handled. Northern states certainly did nothing to help the situation by making it illegal for people of color to even enter the state.
When reading this speech and dovetailing it with others(such as his 1st inaugural address):
"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." -Lincoln
one can conclude that slavery was not the major issue that brought about war. Lincoln wrote the governors of the seceded states, guaranteeing the CORWIN AMMENDMENT will be passed and ratified as the 13th amendment of the US Constitution if the states remained in the union. If the seceding states only seceded over the right to retain their right to keep slavery legal, they had achieved it. The seceded states would have rejoined the union and slavery would have remained legal under the US Constitution. However, the states enied the offer and Lincoln made the call for 75,000 volunteers to invade the deep south, causing more states to leave the union. The biggest example of this was in Virginia, which had been strongly pro-union until the call for 75,000 volunteers was made. It was Lincoln's call for the invasion of the deep south which was the primary cause for secession in Virginia.
It is a typical southern detractors stance in this argument to read the states causes for secession and count of the number of times slavery is mentioned. The truth is slavery was a part of southern economics and economics was a major reason for the secession movement. The economic reasons for secession is so in-depth that it truly deserves it's own post (or several) but the simple answer is Lincoln guaranteed tarrifs to be raised again on the south making the south pay around 80% of the nations taxes. Lincoln could not let the United State's "moneymaker" to leave. Newspapers in the North, South and throughout Europe always discussed tariffs and taxes when addressing the Confederate State's reason for secession. As stated above, the economic reasons of secession will be (and must be) for one to fully understand the history/causes of the war & I will be writing such a post in the near future.
This posts purpose is to look at Lincoln's honest views of the south and slavery. In summary, Lincoln honestly stated/believed that:
- Morality of slavery was rarely questioned by the masses (north&south)
-the south inherited the issue of slavery, did not create it.
-All US politicians had no idea what to do about the issue
-Lincoln believed people of color to be inferior and should be erradicated from the country entirely because the races are not equal and cannot live amongst each other
-Lincoln's objective upon entering office was not to abolish slavery but to pass the CORWIN AMMENDEMNT which would keep slavery legal in states where it was currently legal and make it illegal elsewhere (northern states and ALL territories)
-Lincoln guaranteed slavery to be legal in the southern states if the cotton states rejoined the Union
-Lincoln admitted that the northern people would act in the same way southerners did if the roles were reversed
These insights into Lincoln's ideology show that history has rewritten him as "the great emancipator". The cotton states understood Lincoln had no intention of abolishing slavery in the deep south. When one realizes the deep south's understanding that Lincoln had no intention of outlawing slavery and even offered to keep it legal under the Corwin Ammendment, one can logically come to the conclusion that the states of the deep south seceded for other reasons.
Matt Bowden
Lewisville Texas
*** It is now officially April 12th Happy Fort Sumter day to ALL!!! I hope the sesquicentennial celebrations that take place over the next four years inspire many individuals to learn the causes & true history of the War for Southern Independence ***
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