Why Is Lincoln's Letter To Horace Greely Wrong

Lincoln noticed both sides and held the opinion that slavery was wrong. In his letter to Horace Greely, Lincoln made a clear declaration of his viewpoint. No matter the outcome of the war, Lincoln said he intent to make “no modification of [his] oft-expressed personal wish that all men everywhere could be free” (362). Overall, Lincoln did not approve of slavery and wished that the institution would cease to exist. He wanted freedom for his all men but did not believe all men to be equal in socioeconomic status. Slavery unquestionably stripped away fundamental rights of African Americans which Lincoln disagreed with; however, he did not think they should have equal rights to white men. In the eyes of Lincoln, the South took away

He never stated that men among different races should be equal. Lincoln disliked when the majority overpowered the rights of the minority. He stated in his First Inaugural Address that if a majority deprived any constitutional rights, a revolution would by justified however he did not believe this to be the case for slavery (328). He could not justify slavery with the Constitution. Also with statement he shows his awareness that a minority should not be subjugated by the majority. He may have wanted more equality between minority and majority opinions to ensure that one did not conquer the other. If lincoln opposed the conquering of minority groups he might also oppose the same for racial minorities. Lincoln never did not believe African Americans should be equal to white men but he did not believe they should be held as

He valued the preservation of the Union more than ending the institution of slavery. The president set his goal and used any means necessary to win the war. Emancipation was a convenient consequence of this goal, because abolishing slavery weakened the South and made a legal precedent for slavery. Lincoln did not want to agree with the justifications of slavery, so emancipation as a tool to win the war would benefit both of his desires for uniting a slave free nation. Although, Lincoln naturally opposed slavery and would be happy with the outcome of the war, he would have keep slavery in some states if it meant saving the Union. Some may argue that the president did not prove to be a true opponent of slavery because he would have allowed slavery to exist if it meant preservation of the Union. However, he did morally oppose the institution but he had a strong sense of nationalism which made him loyal to the nation’s survival. Others who do not believe that Lincoln truly opposed slavery would also argue that Lincoln did not see African Americans as equal. Lincoln never considered freed slaves as equals to the white man. To some, a moral opponent of slavery would support equality of men, but to Lincoln the two did not correlate. Ultimately, he disagreed with the institution of slavery although he did not want racial equality for African Americans, and he cared more about preserving the