Abraham Lincoln Speech Analysis

Abraham Lincoln, known for his revolutionary campaign that was the first to state slavery was wrong. History portrays Abraham Lincoln as someone who wanted equal rights for all races that statement is not necessarily true. He wanted the slaves to be free but did not think that whites and blacks could live peacefully together. He changes the way he words things in his speeches in order to gain both sides of the disagreement in order to hold office. His views on slavery increases dramatically while the United States becomes closer to fighting in the civil war.

The world views Abraham Lincoln in history as an abolitionist. History tells us that his main goal was to abolish slavery at all cost. That was not the case, although he found it wrong, he

still did not want to go against what was clearly stated within the constitution. During that time, the abolitionist wanted to do away with slavery immediately. Lincoln knew that slavery was morally wrong and he felt as though changes needed to happen but he did not know how to go about making those changes. Although the constitution does not clearly state that slavery is ethically correct, it never states that it is not. Lincoln did not want to go against the constitution because he did not want to violate the rights within the constitution. In a speech in Peoria, Illinois, he clearly states where he stands with this quote “Slavery is founded in the selfishness of man's nature - opposition to it, is his love of justice. These principles are an eternal antagonism; and when brought into collision so fiercely, as slavery extension brings them, shocks, and throes, and convulsions must ceaselessly follow." During this speech, he knew that it was wrong but admitted that he did not exactly know how to solve the problem. He liked to declare himself as anti-slavery but did not want to be as extreme with it as some people were.
“What I do say is, that no man is good enough to govern another man, without that other's consent." Here Lincoln states that no man should be able to control another man without his permission to do so. Many people believe that Lincoln wanted slave equality. People think Lincoln wanted to allow slaves to have the same rights and liberties at the whites but that is not the case. He actually did not think that at all. In his speech in Charleston Illinois, Lincoln clears up the rumors of him wanting equality with slaves. He states, “There is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality”. He did not think that it would be capable for blacks and whites to live in peace and harmony together. He wanted freedom for the slaves but did not want them to have the same rights and liberties that the whites did.
Lincoln had no idea what to do about slave states that had already existed but he knew where he stood on the spread of slavery.

Lincoln had to focus on the spread of slavery because if slavery spread, he would have a bigger population of people to deal with. In his first inauguration speech Lincoln said, “"I do but quote from one of those speeches when I declare that "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.” He confirmed to the south in this speech that he would not uproot the slaves already in the south because he did not think it was constitutionally correct. Lincoln makes it extremely clear that he does not want the intuition of slavery spreading. In his speech in Chicago, Illinois, he says, “But I say that the spread and strengthening and perpetuation of it is an entirely different proposition. There we should in every way resist it as a wrong, treating it as a wrong, with the fixed idea that it must and will come to an end." He knew that saying that he wanted to interfere with the institution of slavery that was established would make the south even

angrier.
Therefore, Lincoln did not support slavery throughout most of his political career but felt that he could not do much about it for most of his time in office for fear of breaking the rights of the constitution. He did not want equality and thought that blacks and whites needed separation. Although he knew it was wrong, he had to be careful in his words during the time of election and some of his time on office. He did not know how to go about stopping slavery and the spread of slavery itself without breaking the constitution. Ultimately, he wanted the slaves freed but he did not want to live with them in peace. He wanted the slaves to disappear in a sense.