Were Confederate soldiers terrorists?

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by honeychile

"If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it...

Don't get me wrong - I think Lincoln was a skillful and one of the best Presidents. I just get sick to death of the constant diefication of him at times, especially for things he didn't say or do.

I get your point and agree about "constant deification." Lincoln was human, just like the rest of us.

But I do think if you're going to use that quote, it needs to be used in context. Standing alone it can convey quite a different meaning from what I think Lincoln intended.

I would save the Union. I would save it the shortest way under the Constitution. The sooner the national authority can be restored; the nearer the Union will be "the Union as it was." If there be those who would not save the Union, unless they could at the same time save slavery, I do not agree with them. If there be those who would not save the Union unless they could at the same time destroy slavery, I do not agree with them. My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. 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 save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union. I shall do less whenever I shall believe what I am doing hurts the cause, and I shall do more whenever I shall believe doing more will help the cause. I shall try to correct errors when shown to be errors; and I shall adopt new views so fast as they shall appear to be true views.

[Psi U MC Vito]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

I get your point and agree about "constant deification." Lincoln was human, just like the rest of us.

But I do think if you're going to use that quote, it needs to be used in context. Standing alone it can convey quite a different meaning from what I think Lincoln intended.

I would save the Union. I would save it the shortest way under the Constitution. The sooner the national authority can be restored; the nearer the Union will be "the Union as it was." If there be those who would not save the Union, unless they could at the same time save slavery, I do not agree with them. If there be those who would not save the Union unless they could at the same time destroy slavery, I do not agree with them. My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. 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 save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union. I shall do less whenever I shall believe what I am doing hurts the cause, and I shall do more whenever I shall believe doing more will help the cause. I shall try to correct errors when shown to be errors; and I shall adopt new views so fast as they shall appear to be true views.

Yeah, which is what people don't understand. Slavery in it's self, he didn't care one way or another. Only reason he destroyed slavery was that he felt that was the only way he could preserve the Union. I do agree with the constant deification, but I do admire him. He was a hard man, and took his oath to protect and serve the constitution very seriously.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by Psi U MC Vito

Yeah, which is what people don't understand. Slavery in it's self, he didn't care one way or another.

Again, I think this is an overstatement. He said very clearly in the "Peoria Speech" (1854, concering the repeal of the Missouri Compromise) that slavery was a "monstrous injustice." He was an abolitionist, albeit an abolitionist who valued political expediency.

He did care one way or the other. It's just that once secession and war were realities, he cared much more about preserving the Union, and everything else was viewed through the lens of whether it would hasten or delay, secure or end any chance of the preservation of the Union.