A Critique of DiLorenzo's The Real Lincoln Essay

Abraham Lincoln is one of the most well known presidents in the history of the United States of America. He as thought to be the man who led this great country through the toughest times it had to encounter. His determination to get the United States through the Civil War is one of the best things that have ever happened for this country. Lincoln’s argument about the relationship between slavery, the Constitution, and the Union changed throughout the Civil War. Lincoln’s view of the purpose of the war was to save the Union because of the southern states seceding from the Union. However, the argument changed to the war being about slavery because of Fredrick Douglass’s speeches and the Confederates surrendering at

In Thomas J. DiLorenzo’s book, The Real Lincoln: A New Look at Abraham Lincoln, His Agenda, and an Unnecessary War, he reveals the truth about Abraham Lincoln and attempts to get rid of the myths that many have told. He reveals the agenda of Lincoln and the real purpose behind the Civil War. One question that some have is why did it take a war to end slavery? In the book it is stated that, “dozens of countries… ended slavery peacefully during the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries”(x). Many argue the fact that Lincoln was against slavery but in DiLorenzo’s book he argues that Lincoln was very much supportive of slavery (x). DiLorenzo explains the real agenda behind Abraham Lincoln and what he stood for.

The freedom of America’s slaves has always been accredited to Abraham Lincoln, but he was not always the complete abolitionist as he is commonly portrayed. The “house divided”, as Lincoln depicts it in his famous ‘House Divided’ speech, of the United States during the Civil War, was not always lead towards the freedom of all mankind, and there is sufficient evidence to support this claim. The sixteenth president is most commonly remembered for inducing the courage and determination to end the Civil War, with the Emancipation Proclamation, although when it more closely studied he did not cross the great divide of enslavement vs. freedom with the submittal of that fabled document. When following the many famous quotes and speeches of Lincoln’s life, it appears that he was against all slavery and bondage. At the same time, when more closely examined, the quotes and speeches actually leaned towards his lack of strong opinion on the outcome of slavery. Lincoln is perceived as the most famous revolutionary of American history, but he does not live up to his legacy of being the eradicator of forced servitude.

Although Abraham Lincoln wanted to free African American slaves and thought slavery was wrong he did not believe they should have the same social and political rights. The mid 1800s was a time that separated the black and white race immensely. The northern states and the southern states of the United States was divided on the issues of slavery among other reasons which led to the civil war. The civil war was the beginning of struggling African American slaves journey to freedom with the help of Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation. Slavery in the northern states never reached the severity in most plantations that it did in the South, and it was common knowledge that being a slave in the South was, in a way, more harsh than the North, leading to a much larger number of slaves being held captive in southern states. Many people in the southern states used biblical passages to justify slavery and said that if slavery was abolished there would be unquestionable chaos and unemployment. Despite all of the people that did not think that slavery was wrong, one man stood and took the blunt of the judgement by the people named Abraham Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln viewed slavery as wrong, but knew that the nation’s founding fathers struggled with how to address the issue of slavery. There were several ideas on how abolish slavery during the 1800s, including colonization and the Emancipation Proclamation, but these ideas were not introduced into law because the general public

With the eruption of the Civil War came one of the biggest tribulations and trials that this country has ever faced, but as we understand the motives of one of the greatest Presidents in American History we can see that the Civil War was inevitable. From his original intentions of merely preserving the Union and holding the country together, to permanently abolishing slavery we can observe why prevailing in the struggle of the Civil War is one of Lincoln’s defining legacies. Thus, as the civil war draws to a close, an old tumultuous era has ended, and a new more prosperous era has

The power was explicitly given to the Legislative branch of the government since it was mentioned in Article I; however, the argument can be made that this was an exigency that was granted for a particular emergency, in this case an insurrection. Even knowing that he had a basis to take action on his own, he waited for Congress to make the final decision and grant him the privilege to not overstep any boundary. When Congress made a decision “it was imposed upon the President for the very reason that the courts and the marshals are too weak to perform it (the suspension of the Writ of Habeas Corpus)” (Bates 295). President Lincoln was just upholding and living up to the oath that he “will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States and will…preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. When all else fails the President is the “Guardian of the Constitution” and must not be denied due to believing that a power can be easily abused, when every law is subject to good and bad, it’s the chances that must be taken (Bates 295). The circumstances all pointed to the the executive branch, the president, to step in and enact the suspension of the Writ of Habeas Corpus indicating that the power, although given only to the legislative, it seems that the framers knew that when the time came congress would not be able to perform such actions. The only grounds that indicated that the president wasn’t automatically given the power was

Lincoln’s decision in regard to suspension of habeas corpus is best understood from the perspective of the civil war. After secession of Virginia from the Union in April 1861, Maryland was the only option available for communication, transport, troop movements and supplies to Washington DC, the country’s capital. Because the railway ran through Baltimore, which was a difficult city to deal with, and Maryland’s support could not be taken for granted President Lincoln closely monitored its legislature session and also ordered many members to be arrested. Lincoln’s main objective was to keep the transport and communications routes through Maryland functioning, which was the main reason for his issue of presidential executive order in regard to Suspension of the Writ of Habeas Corpus (Dueholm, 2008).

By establishing governments in the South reliable to the Union and with the determination to separate whites from the Confederacy, Lincoln arranged a pardon to Confederates whom acknowledged the elimination of slavery; however he didn’t propose anything towards unrestricted blacks. Lincoln couldn’t live to be in charge of the Reconstruction – due to being assassinated in the presidential box at Ford’s Theater in Washington D.C – but his ideas evolved to bring forth the limitation to black suffrage in the postwar South. President Abraham appointed intellectual beings and those who shadowed their cause, as soldiers, as the only commendable

He keeps to the subject very well in this book, making the tone of it objective, keeping his personal views out. The book is written in an undeviating fashion, looking at Lincoln’s relationship with slavery from his early childhood to his death and beyond.

In addition, the constitutional rights of the people were restricted during the Civil War. As Confederate troops marched towards Washington D.C. and rioters among the Border States gained momentum, President Abraham Lincoln sought to diminish the movement of both groups. To do this, he suspended the writ of habeas corpus. The doctrine of habeas corpus is the right to bring a prisoner before a court in order to determine if imprisonment is necessary. President Lincoln suspended this right in order to detain “disloyal persons” and stop the spread of disloyalty throughout the Union. Although the suspension of habeas corpus is protected under the Constitution, President Lincoln abused his executive powers. He was not given the power to suspend

The freedom of America’s slaves has always been accredited to Abraham Lincoln, but he was not always the complete abolitionist as he is commonly portrayed. The “house divided”, as Lincoln depicts it in his famous ‘House Divided’ speech, of the United States during the Civil War, was not always lead towards the freedom of all mankind, and there is sufficient evidence to support this claim. The sixteenth president is most commonly remembered for inducing the courage and determination to end the Civil War, with the Emancipation Proclamation, although when it more closely studied he did not cross the great divide of enslavement vs. freedom with the submittal of that fabled document. When following the many famous quotes and speeches of Lincoln’s life, it appears that he was against all slavery and bondage. Although when they are more closely examined, the quotes and speeches actually leaned towards his lack of strong opinion on the outcome of slavery. Lincoln is perceived as the most famous revolutionary of American history, but he does not live up to his legacy of being the eradicator of forced servitude.

During the Abraham Lincoln’s short time as president, he managed not only to save a nation deeply divided and at war with itself, but to solidify the United States of America as a nation dedicated to the progress of civil rights. Years after his death, he was awarded the title of ‘The Great Emancipator.’ In this paper, I will examine many different aspects of Lincoln’s presidency in order to come to a conclusion: whether this title bestowed unto Lincoln was deserved, or not. In order to fully understand Lincoln, it is necessary to understand the motives that drove this man to action. While some of his intentions may not have been for the welfare of slaves, but for the preservation of the Union,

Many times in this nation’s history, our leaders have been criticized for taking extra-constitutional measures, such as when on, April 27, 1861, then President Abraham Lincoln suspended the writ of habeas corpus. At the beginning of the Civil war President Lincoln suspended the writ of habeas corpus in an effort to protect the public during a time of rebellion. At this time suspending the writ of habeas corpus was not legal for just the president alone to decide. I believe Lincoln had to use the power he possessed to take action quickly in order to get any potential threat under control.

2. Given this outstanding success, why did the internationalization thrust of the late 1980s and early 1990s fail?

Restriction of Habeas Corpus limits the destructive capabilities of social and political rebellions. On July 4th 1861, President Lincoln addressed congress in regards to the necessity of Habeas Corpus. "We have a case of rebellion, and the public safety does require suspension of the writ. Now it is insisted that Congress, and not the Executive, is vested with this power. But the Constitution itself, is silent as to which,