Abraham Lincoln Anti Equality Quote for Black people 1858

Rushcourt71

"I am not, nor ever have been, in favour of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races.

I am not, nor ever have been, in favour of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people;

and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality."

(Abraham Lincoln, 18th September 1858, during the famous 'Lincoln-Douglas Debate' in response to the question whether he was 'really in favour of producing a perfect equality between the negroes and white people'.

Reproduced in 'Times Democrat' Newspaper, 22nd July 1889)  

ksvijayakrishna

Lincoln was always praised for uplifting blacks. If the new report is true, then is very bad.

Rhett_Bassard

One excerpt from one speech does not fairly sum Lincoln’s views on pigmentation and equality.
Even Snopes provides the bigger picture on reports of the speech that varied by the political agenda of several newspapers.

@Rushcourt71 cites an 1858 campaign debate during Lincoln's failed bid for the US Senate. IMHO, much said during a campaign fails to reach reality. I have to wonder why the post neglects Lincoln's later role as US President and his Emancipation Proclamation [Executive Order 95] in 1863 that freed 3.5 million slaves?

Rushcourt71

Rhett Bassard 2-1-2019 09:45 PM
One excerpt from one speech does not fairly sum Lincoln’s views on pigmentation and equality.
Even  ...

Thank you for your reply.

Please take a look at the quotation below from after Lincoln became President.

"The 13th Amendment technically allows slavery or involuntary servitude as punishment for a crime:

'Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for a crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction."

(Source: 'Evening World', [US newspaper], Sept 9th 1889 and 'Clarion Ledger' [US newspaper], Sept 29th 1889)




  

Rushcourt71

I have just read yours of the 19th. addressed to myself through the New-York Tribune … As to the policy I “seem to be pursuing” as you say, I have not meant to leave any one in doubt.

I would save the Union. I would save it the shortest way under the Constitution. The sooner the national authority can be restored; the nearer the Union will be “the Union as it was.”

If there be those who would not save the Union, unless they could at the same time save slavery, I do not agree with them. If there be those who would not save the Union unless they could at the same time destroy slavery, I do not agree with them.

My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to 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; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that.

What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union.

I shall do less whenever I shall believe what I am doing hurts the cause, and I shall do more whenever I shall believe doing more will help the cause. I shall try to correct errors when shown to be errors; and I shall adopt new views so fast as they shall appear to be true views.

I have here stated my purpose according to my view of official duty; and I intend no modification of my oft-expressed personal wish that all men every where could be free."

Abraham Lincoln as President

(Source: The New York Times. “A LETTER FROM PRESIDENT LINCOLN: Reply to Horace Greeley. Slavery and the Union. The Restoration of the Union the Paramount Object.”, 24 August 1862)

I have reproduced the quotation in full and not as others have done only in part so that everyone is clear about the context in which it was said. I have also highlighted the last part which says it is 'his personal wish' for all men every where to be free', but as it is secondary to saving the union, it should be seen in that perspective.

I recognise you may say the larger cause was to win the war and hence slavery needed to be of lesser importance otherwise there was no ability to end slavery or do anything for slaves during a conflict, although I would argue on that point as being wrong as well, you may also know Lincoln legally enacted the Emancipation Proclamation during the war in 1863 and not after.   

Since you mentioned Snopes, I decided to check if the quotation was there on his website itself as well and it is. It can be viewed on https://www.snopes.com/fact-chec ... s-views-on-slavery/

Obviously Snopes has how own take on it, but it is there nonetheless.