Duplicitous Promises
The fear of secession drove Northern compromises with the South since the first signing of the declaration of independence and the constitution itself. Lincoln’s election in 1860 put him in charge when the union’s collapse or upheaval seemed imminent. Abraham Lincoln found himself in the unenviable position of attempting to hold a country together that held diametrically opposing beliefs. The Southern economy depended on the slave trade in order to continue, yet the Northerners had been stirred to distaste by literature such as Uncle Tom’s Cabin and The Life of Frederick Douglass. Lincoln had run on a republican platform, one they believed abolitionist and intent on destroying their state rights to slavery. In the midst …show more content…
Hoping for reunification, Lincoln publically professed his official acceptance of slavery, declaring “that slaves whose cases come within the terms of this clause, "shall be delivered," their [congressmen’s] oaths are unanimous” herein reinforcing his commitment to the Fugitive Slave Act due to its constitutional nature as upheld by the Supreme Court in the Dred Scot case (Lincoln). He swore to his audience that a Republican presidency would not interfere with State rights, promising “I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so" (Lincoln). When the Civil war began, Lincoln accepted slavery as constitutional in hopes of acquiring …show more content…
The morale of the Confederate forces held strong, they fought for their homeland and traditional ways. Union soldiers fought far away from their homes, for a cause in which many were not ardent supporters. The Union’s advantage lay in their control of trade routes and financial strength. These advantages would not last if the Confederacy received international support. Zinn quoted Hofstatder’s commentary on Lincoln’s political agenda when he wrote “Like a delicate barometer, [Lincoln] recorded the trend of pressures, and as the radical pressure increased he moved towards the left” (189). These pressures included the threat of the Confederacy engaging in trade with Britain and France both vehemently anti-slavery countries; Union troops defeat which lowered morale, and the stream of resources slaves provided to confederate forces. Realizing the impact of slavery on the Confederacies staunch defense, he argued that emancipating slaves was “a military necessity, absolutely necessary to the preservation of the Union” (Tindall 547) which allowed him to employ Executive powers. The Emancipation Declaration threatened the South by vowing to “emancipate their slaves if they continued to fight” (Zinn 191), the “if” assuring them that they could still rejoin the union with slavery intact. Consequently, Lincoln promised “to leave slavery untouched” in those states that returned
The fear of secession drove Northern compromises with the South since the first signing of the declaration of independence and the constitution itself. Lincoln’s election in 1860 put him in charge when the union’s collapse or upheaval seemed imminent. Abraham Lincoln found himself in the unenviable position of attempting to hold a country together that held diametrically opposing beliefs. The Southern economy depended on the slave trade in order to continue, yet the Northerners had been stirred to distaste by literature such as Uncle Tom’s Cabin and The Life of Frederick Douglass. Lincoln had run on a republican platform, one they believed abolitionist and intent on destroying their state rights to slavery. In the midst …show more content…
Hoping for reunification, Lincoln publically professed his official acceptance of slavery, declaring “that slaves whose cases come within the terms of this clause, "shall be delivered," their [congressmen’s] oaths are unanimous” herein reinforcing his commitment to the Fugitive Slave Act due to its constitutional nature as upheld by the Supreme Court in the Dred Scot case (Lincoln). He swore to his audience that a Republican presidency would not interfere with State rights, promising “I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so" (Lincoln). When the Civil war began, Lincoln accepted slavery as constitutional in hopes of acquiring …show more content…
The morale of the Confederate forces held strong, they fought for their homeland and traditional ways. Union soldiers fought far away from their homes, for a cause in which many were not ardent supporters. The Union’s advantage lay in their control of trade routes and financial strength. These advantages would not last if the Confederacy received international support. Zinn quoted Hofstatder’s commentary on Lincoln’s political agenda when he wrote “Like a delicate barometer, [Lincoln] recorded the trend of pressures, and as the radical pressure increased he moved towards the left” (189). These pressures included the threat of the Confederacy engaging in trade with Britain and France both vehemently anti-slavery countries; Union troops defeat which lowered morale, and the stream of resources slaves provided to confederate forces. Realizing the impact of slavery on the Confederacies staunch defense, he argued that emancipating slaves was “a military necessity, absolutely necessary to the preservation of the Union” (Tindall 547) which allowed him to employ Executive powers. The Emancipation Declaration threatened the South by vowing to “emancipate their slaves if they continued to fight” (Zinn 191), the “if” assuring them that they could still rejoin the union with slavery intact. Consequently, Lincoln promised “to leave slavery untouched” in those states that returned