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Re: Abraham Lincoln 

By: Fiz in 6TH POPE | Recommend this post (1)
Fri, 27 Jan 23 1:33 AM | 31 view(s)
Boardmark this board | 6th Edition Pope Board 		Msg. 39495 of 60014
(This msg. is a reply to 39488 by Decomposed)
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"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" -Abraham Lincoln

http://history.stackexchange.com/questions/32832/what-is-the-context-of-lincoln-saying-if-i-could-save-the-union-without-freein

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The above is a reply to the following message:
Re: Abraham Lincoln
By: Decomposed in 6TH POPE
Thu, 26 Jan 23 4:54 PM 		Msg. 39488 of 60014

micro:

Re: “He sure did come around when he needed the black men to fight on his side of the war though...”'The Creature From Jekyll Island' - where I found the quote - argues that that's not why Lincoln did it.

The war was over economic issues. The majority North had implemented tariffs on foreign goods that were also being manufactured by the North and used by the South, but didn't do the opposite with goods produced by the South. This caused prices to soar in the South. They were rightfully sick of it. Slavery was quickly being eradicated throughout the world, and Lincoln believed it would be eradicated in the South as well in good time. A war on that account was unnecessary.

But the economic war was going poorly for the North, and it was having trouble in its recruitment effort. There, it was commonly called "the rich-man’s war and the poor man’s fight". A tour of duty was for just 3 months and those who had done one weren't re-enlisting.

Moreover, Europe wanted the United States - which was already viewed as too powerful - to break in two. The ruling classes in England and France sympathized strongly with the Confederacy. It was feared that with a little prodding they would intervene militarily. France had designs on Mexico and sent soldiers there. England did the same in Canada, placing eleven thousand soldiers to the North of us.

The Emancipation Proclamation (on January 1, 1863, the war's third year) allowed the North to portray the war as being for MORAL reasons. The fallacy there is easily seen: It only freed slaves in the rebellious Confederate states! But it caused a surge of support in the North and helped solve the enlistment problem. The effect in Europe - where slavery had been abolished - was to effectively kill its early support for the Confederacy and any chance that it would contribute soldiers.

It was pure genius by Lincoln.

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