Rhetorical Analysis Of Abraham Lincoln's Views On Slavery

Lincoln suggests that the institution of slavery be contained by preventing the spread of it to the new territories and Free states, although he had no interest in interfering with the already entitled slave states. He agrees that it was the right of the state to make its own decisions, not the federal government. Although Lincoln did not favor getting involved with abolishing slavery in the already declared slave states, he did favor total abolition in the distant future. He was first worried about stopping the expansion of slavery and then the next step to be taken would have been the "ultimate extinction" of it throughout the states. Lincoln did believe that every white man had no more equality than another. For this is one of the main reasons why at this time a resolution needed to be found in order to keep this equality in the new territories. Lincoln made a valid point in his speech that if slave holders were to settle in a new territory along with people opposed to slavery, which party has the right to decide what type of territory and future state it will be declared as? As for the rights of slaves, Lincoln agreed with Douglas that slaves did not have the same individual rights as everyone else, but he did believe that the liberties given under the Declaration of Independence involved such slaves. It is obvious that the Republicans of this time find slavery as being a "moral, social, and political wrong",

On the other hand, Lincoln thought that while there has been no slavery desirable, he felt should not think that extends to several other new districts, and this should avoid legally. And this should be avoided in a legal manner, with tenacity he had found the solution for this, however, was the right to property enshrined in the U.S. Constitution Even so, the war powers of the President Lincoln, he made a call to get an emancipation during the civil war, in order to enable it to seize the properties of hard workers in order to free them from the legal means

Abraham Lincoln once said to George Robertson “‘Can we, as a nation, continue, together permanently—forever—half slave, and half free?’ The problem is too mighty for me. May God, in his mercy, superintend the solution.” (Hobson, 1912) This he wrote in a private letter in 1855. It was another year before Lincoln felt ready to think about saying the same thing in a way that would be really heard. He made his position clear September 18, 1858, stating “I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races,” going on to say that he opposed blacks having the right to vote, to serve on juries, to hold office and to intermarry with whites. (Mintz, S., & McNeil, 2016) The Civil War in the United States was inevitable. The great sectional differences between North and South were far too great, and the main reason for these differences was the fact that slavery underlay both the southern economy and society. No one, not even Abraham Lincoln could dispute the growing gap between the nation at that time.

Lincoln states "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 by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would also do that." Lincoln was strictly for the Union and if he could save the Union and end slavery he would, but his first thoughts were for the Union, and only the Union. He deals with slavery in this manner because he does not want to upset or cause turmoil in the South. Even though the Civil War was going on, he wants it to end and the Union to be whole.

Another factor that supports the truth behind Lincoln's statement is that the United States Government has no power to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation in the Confederate states. Those states were technically a different country, and the U.S. can not create laws for another country. A loop hole such as this would not have been over looked if emancipation was the main goal of the proclamation. This loophole made the proclamation much less significant than it sounded, once again showing that the topic of slavery was not the

Lincoln debates that the emancipation of slaves from the Emancipation Proclamation is making a big deal over really nothing. No slaves will be affected by the Emancipation Proclamation, because the people that have to enforce it will not enforce it. Lincoln compared it to how Pope Callixtus III excommunicated Halley’s Comet. The comet was seen as an omen of troubles to come to Pope Callixtus III so he just got rid of all of its affiliations from the church. Lincoln sees this as a chance to make it seem like a difference is being made in America with some slaves being set free but none really are. Lincoln also pointed out the problem if a mass amount of slaves started to come to the North for refuge. How could the North support all the slaves

First, Abraham Lincoln wasn’t a fan of slavery. He thought that slavery should be abolished. According to document 5 it says “Abraham Lincoln, who had declared “Government cannot endure permanently half slave, half free…”. Lincoln also thought that it should be “Free Speech, Free Homes, and Free Territory”. He thought that blacks should have the right to talk in public and blacks should own their own homes and property. Lincoln wanted all blacks to be free and didn't want racism.

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

Lincoln said his paramount object was to save the Union, and if he could accomplish that by not freeing any slaves, he would free none; "if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by

President Lincoln believed all should have an equal chance, something in which of course slavery contradicted. He made it clear that slavery was a very dangerous and disturbing element. Seemingly, Abraham Lincoln was bothered by this case according to some direct quotes from his speech."The Republicans inculcate, with whatever of

Lincoln throughout his life, deep down, always was against slavery. At a young age he disagreed with it due to the fact that his parents were anti-slavery and because he sympathized with the blacks due to his poor life as a child. His aversion to slavery would only grow as his political career progressed. While he was wanting to earn votes, or keep states from seceding he made the expansion of slavery his main goal rather than abolishing it. It wasn’t until further into the Civil War that the president would work towards fully abolishing slavery and attempting to give slaves their

First, Lincoln had carefully spoke of the slavery issue in difference ways based on the current situation of the country and how he could influence the citizen in gaining their favors. We can clearly see that in his speech on 1854, he had doubt in his mind about what to do with slaves after freeing them. On his debate speech on 1858, he asserted that even when slaves are freed, they should never gain an equal either socially or politically as whites. Lincoln true thoughts had shown in his The Emancipation of Proclamation where he only freed the slaves in the territory which the North had claimed. This would help for the benefits of the Union as slaves freed from the Confederacy would affect the reconstructing of the South

It is found that although Lincoln opposed the spread of slavery into new territories, he denied any intention of interfering with the institution in those states where it already existed. After his election to the Presidency in 1860 precipitated Southern secession and civil war, Lincoln declared that he was leading a struggle only to preserve the Union and not to destroy slavery. It seems that his initial thought was not to end slavery and eliminate racial inequality. Two years later, Lincoln changed his position and eventually proclaimed the emancipation of those slaves held within rebel territory. He justified that action solely as a matter of military necessity. After the Civil war began, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation to win

Lincoln begins his argument against slavery by pointing out that the continuation of slavery makes this country seems hypocritical. He notes, “I hate it [slavery] because it deprives our republican example of its just influence in the world—enables the enemies of free institutions, with plausibility, to taunt us as hyporcites—criticizing the Declaration of Independence, and insisting that there is no right principle of action but self-interest.” In other words, Lincoln argues that America is weakening its image by denying a group of people their right to be free, while the country was founded on the principle of giving freedom to its citizens.

Lincoln most likely had many reasons to write this speech, but there was one main reason that stood out the most to Majerol. Lincoln signed the "Emancipation Proclamation" to transform the nature of the civil war such as, helping the Union secure victory in the civil war. In addition, it had freed the slaves in all of the confederate states but not in the Union states because he did not want to lose his support in the northern states. If Lincoln would have freed the slaves in the entire United States of America he would have lost all of his supporters in the north that had slaves. In addition he would have lost the civil war because of his lack of troops. "It authorized the enlistment of free blocks for armed service, free slaves from farms" (Majerol). Therefore, Lincoln signed the “Emancipation Proclamation” because he wanted the support of the blacks so that they could join and help them win the civil war. Lincoln signed the proclamation because he knew