The distinction as to the actual motivation in freeing the slaves may seem trivial but it provides an excellent perspective on politics and why politicians do what they do.
Lincoln said specifically, "If I could unite the states without freeing the slaves, I would do it."
Note: the above is an unconfirmed quote but it's consistent with that which I have read elsewhere.
The specific purpose in uniting the states is regarded as a noble calling but really it was just political practicality. If you would govern, it's better to return the state in as good or better condition when your period of governance is over. Had Lincoln been at the wheel when an actual secession had taken place, he would never have been forgiven for it.
There's a great deal of hubbub on the matter regarding Lincoln's actual motivations as to whether he was the shining light of American nobility (in terms of his behavior rather than his rank). Frankly, I don't care. There are two salient facts regarding his administration:
The states were united and remain so.
The slaves were freed.
Whether these things qualify him for nobility is your call but trying to make a saint out of him is just as false as claiming he deserved the bullet.
The Divine Right of White People isn't something America invented as it goes back for millennia. Any expectation Lincoln had an epiphany which vaulted him to modern understanding isn't realistic. At the inception of the country, a black man was officially recorded as three/fifths of a white man. That statement wasn't so much in the past from Lincoln.
The matter is significant in the South as many feel the outcome was not the right one but it doesn't make any difference any more because the outcome will not change. Yevette and I talk about it with fair regularity as the problem back then is interesting for history but the only problem which matters is right now. There won't be any guidance from Lincoln or anywhere else because this is new ground. Multi-national nukes and populations bursting at the seams are hardly something someone who rode horses to work would be able to comprehend, much less assist.
Lincoln said specifically, "If I could unite the states without freeing the slaves, I would do it."
Note: the above is an unconfirmed quote but it's consistent with that which I have read elsewhere.
The specific purpose in uniting the states is regarded as a noble calling but really it was just political practicality. If you would govern, it's better to return the state in as good or better condition when your period of governance is over. Had Lincoln been at the wheel when an actual secession had taken place, he would never have been forgiven for it.
There's a great deal of hubbub on the matter regarding Lincoln's actual motivations as to whether he was the shining light of American nobility (in terms of his behavior rather than his rank). Frankly, I don't care. There are two salient facts regarding his administration:
The states were united and remain so.
The slaves were freed.
Whether these things qualify him for nobility is your call but trying to make a saint out of him is just as false as claiming he deserved the bullet.
The Divine Right of White People isn't something America invented as it goes back for millennia. Any expectation Lincoln had an epiphany which vaulted him to modern understanding isn't realistic. At the inception of the country, a black man was officially recorded as three/fifths of a white man. That statement wasn't so much in the past from Lincoln.
The matter is significant in the South as many feel the outcome was not the right one but it doesn't make any difference any more because the outcome will not change. Yevette and I talk about it with fair regularity as the problem back then is interesting for history but the only problem which matters is right now. There won't be any guidance from Lincoln or anywhere else because this is new ground. Multi-national nukes and populations bursting at the seams are hardly something someone who rode horses to work would be able to comprehend, much less assist.
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