Lincoln on Slavery - Article Example

Harris Kamran History 16 April 2008 Lincoln on Slavery Events in the history of a nation shape its course and its future position as regards its role in domestic as well as foreign matters, and the decision of the leaders depend upon those events, and often influence them to change their stance in governing and leading the nation. What comes to be the final shape of affairs does not necessarily portend the initial circumstances, nor does it alone can suffice for studying any leader’s actions and the reasons behind those actions. When studying the position of Abraham Lincoln on slavery, and the reasons and effects of his Emancipation Proclamation, therefore, it is important to take into consideration these control measures and to lay a background to the nature of events occurring at that time. The crux of the matter lies in the American Civil War that single-handedly spearheaded the antislavery movement and resulted in the Emancipation Proclamation. It was a contention between the northern free states and the bordering slave states known as the United States of America or the Union (Wikipedia 2008), and the southern states known as the Confederate States of America, where slavery was well established, hence, also known as the slave states. The southern states were led by Jefferson Davis, and the Union was led by Abraham Lincoln and the Republican Party (Wikipedia 2008). His one quote can fully illuminate Lincoln’s position regarding slavery before the Civil War, when he said "My paramount object in this struggle, is to save the Union and it is not either to save or 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..." (Race, Racism and the Law 1998). Lincoln was a man of law, and upholding the Constitution was paramount to him in all matters of politics. He would not, or rather, could not, take any steps that went beyond the parameters of the Constitution. So when it came to freeing the slaves, he was just as much concerned about the issue as was permitted by the red tapes of law, and which was crucial for the survival of the Union. Abraham Lincoln was always against slavery, and always expressed his views against it on moral grounds (Slavery & Emancipation). Even before the Civil War and the need to draft the Proclamation, he held adverse feelings for the practice of slavery in that it sullied the image of the States and the liberty that they so vehemently upheld. Quoting him, "The monstrous injustice of slavery... deprives our republican example of its just influence in the world- enables the enemies of free institutions, with plausibility, to taunt us as hypocrites- causes the real friends of freedom to doubt our sincerity, and especially because it forces so  many really good men amongst ourselves into an open war with the very fundamental principles of civil liberty" (Slavery & Emancipation). However, more importantly, he was against the antislavery extremists, too (Mr. Lincoln and Freedom 2008). This might seem surprising, however, it has certain elements that need to be understood. It is obvious that he was antislavery because it went against the charter of freedom that was associated with the white man (Mr. Lincoln and Freedom 2008), and because the States were unified about the concept of liberty. But he was also against those who viciously condemned slavery, for he feared that their actions might take them to the extremes where the well-being and the safety of the USA would be jeopardized (Mr. Lincoln and Freedom 2008). Hence, he had to reach a compromise between the two issues (Mr. Lincoln and Freedom 2008), both of which threatened to weaken the stability of the States, and this compromise he reached based on at least three reasons, according to historian Current (Mr. Lincoln and Freedom 2008). The first and foremost was the limitations set by the Constitution, in that he did not hold the power to simply abolish slavery throughout the States. The Constitution did not allow him to pass any legislation that would issue a nationwide decree of the sort, nor did it permit him to move for antislavery and general emancipation in the States that were proslavery and where slavery was already well established (Mr. Lincoln and Freedom 2008). Additionally, some States put forward a condition of joining the USA only if they were allowed to continue with the practice of slavery. In this context, Lincoln could not have taken any measures against slavery lest the States would either break into rebellion or would reject the proposal of joining with the Union (Mr. Lincoln and Freedom 2008). Secondly, even if the Constitution would have allowed him to take any such measures, that wouldn’t have solved the problem of slavery in the country; on the contrary, it would have worsened the situation (Mr. Lincoln and Freedom 2008). The Black population of the States were looked down upon by the white populace, and because of their color issues, would have suffered economically, socially, politically and personally. One possibility could have been to send the freed slaves to their native lands or to other countries where their color would not pose a hindrance, but Lincoln’s own words, "My first impulse would be to free all the slaves, and send them to Liberia, to their own native land. But a moments 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" (Slavery & Emancipation). The third reason preventing him from going outright against slavery was that by making sure the new States to join the Union would be free State, slavery would just be contained in the South, and would eventually doe out, so there was no need for an outrageous move against it (Mr. Lincoln and Freedom 2008). With the Civil War in full throttle, it was imperative that measures had to be taken to portray USA as a land of freedom and liberty, where moral justice and rights were upheld. This would ensure support from England and France, and would help put an end to the War with USA being the victor. On the 1st of January, 1863, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation (Anti-Slavery Society 2003). This was a decree eliciting a general emancipation of all slaves from all Sates, whether in the Union or in the Confederate States of the South. Technically speaking, this Proclamation did not free even a single slave (Anti-Slavery Society 2003), because it was put into practice in areas over which the federal government had no control, and in the States that were in rebellion (Slavery & Emancipation). It, however, served two very critical roles in the downfall of the Confederate States, in that the freed slaves abandoned their lands in the South, giving an economic blow to the Confederate (Anti-Slavery Society 2003), and USA came out to be an emancipator of slaves, thus winning over the goodwill of other nations and strengthening its position in the War (Anti-Slavery Society 2003).   Works Cited “American Civil War.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 15 April 2008. 16 April 2008 . “Civil War.” Mr. Lincoln and Freedom. 2008. 16 April 2008 . “Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.” Anti-Slavery Society. 2003. 16 April 2008 . “Lincoln on Slavery.” Race, Racism and the Law. 20 August 1998. 16 April 2008 . “Lincoln on Slavery.” The War For States’ Rights-Slavery & Emancipation. 16 April 2008 . Read More