William E. Gienapp’s This Fiery Trial: The Speeches and Writings of Abraham Lincoln presents a comprehensive, yet incomplete chronological depiction of Lincoln’s public and private life. Through reading Lincoln’s various letters and speeches the reader can begin to grasp his evolving ideologies. While slow at first, Lincoln’s views on emancipation were somewhat consistent leading up to the War, but the unprecedented brutality and massive scope of the war caused him to change views rather quickly.
The first account of Lincoln’s “public declaration against slavery” provided by Gienapp was in the form of a protest in the Illinois state legislature on slavery (8). Lincoln asserted that the abolitionist movement was doing more harm than help to bring the institution of slavery to an end (8). Lincoln’ first public decree against slavery and was taking a huge political risk considering Lincolns legislative district had a large southern born population (8).
Soon the question of Texas’ annexation reinforced his opposition to abolitionists. The Liberty party refused to vote for Henry Clay because he was a slaveholder and thus helped James K. Polk ascend to the presidency. Polk’s expansionist tendencies allowed for Texas to be annexed in as a slave state. Lincoln blamed abolitionists for this expansion in slave states (16). Lincoln believed that slavery should be left alone expressing, “we should never knowingly lend ourselves directly or indirectly, to prevent slavery from dying a natural death” (p.17). He believed that slavery was on its way to death and would die naturally, but any opposition against slavery was equally matched with pro slavery ambitions.
Lincoln considered measures to free the slaves such as deporting them all to Liberia, but quickly recognized that it would result in almost immediate death upon arrival in Liberia (29). He then posited several questions about what to do with the issue of slavery. He ended up suggesting for slow incremental emancipation, but in what could be a political move said, “but for their tardiness, I will not undertake to judge our brethren in the south” (30).
In his speech at Springfield, Lincoln discusses his ideology concerning why he wants to help to free the slaves. He responded to an attack by Stephen Douglas, who argued that the only reason someone would want to free the slaves would “do so only because they want to vote, and eat, and sleep, and marry with negros” (41). Lincoln responded saying that he wanted to free slaves, but it did mean he wanted to marry a black woman; he just wants them to be left alone. He argued that blacks were not equal in height, color, intellect, morals, or social competence, but blacks and whites were equal in natural rights, as described by the founding fathers.
As Lincoln’s views concerning Emancipation grew he suggested that forcing slavery into or out of a state with the means of violence is nonsensical (53). Expanding yet still reinforcing his ideas of gradual emancipation, Lincoln argued that if slavery were restricted from growing beyond its current limits it would die out naturally and gradually without any form of violent acts (53). He believed that only a Supreme Court case could have the authority to nationally end the institution (53).
In his March 1862 address to Congress, Lincoln promoted the idea of the gradual abolition of slavery on a state-by-state basis. If a state were to agree to gradually abolish slavery, they would be rewarded with compensation for both the public and private inconveniences it caused (119). With the war ever intensifying, Lincoln’s December 1862 address to Congress suggested that the rebellion would have never existed if slavery had never existed, and if slavery were ended then the rebellion would end as well (146). At this point it seemed that Lincoln was then moving away from the war aim being to hold the Union together to abolishing slavery.
The brutality of war had finally marked a point where Lincoln needed a new war aim to regroup a cause and to increase morale of the Union. Finally on January 1st 1863, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which stated that all people held as slaves in the Confederacy would be free and that the Executive branch and the Military powers of the Union would recognize the freedom of those slaves (151-152).
Lincoln’s early suggestions of slavery being very deliberate seemed to me to be political moves. It would have been political suicide if Lincoln were to outright call for the emancipation of slaves prior to his election. Thus he slowly expanded his suggestions of how to deal with freeing the slaves. As a political science student, I made the assertion that Lincoln believed increased opposition towards slavery would bring an equal coalition for slavery. This is analogous to the decision of Brown v. Board; it wasn’t until the Supreme Court made the decision requiring schools to integrate did the pro-segregation coalition really pick up.
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