Abraham Lincoln, Slavery and the Civil War

Letter to Lyman Trumbull

When President Lincoln won the elections in 1860, some southern states decided to secede. Secession was illegal in America but President Lincoln could not do anything about it because he had just been elected therefore he did not have any official power. This was around the time of the beginning of the civil war. The president was prepared to fight the war seceded to create the confederacy. The southern states threatened to divide the Union but Lincoln would not hear of this. Another problem was that the southern states were democrats and Lincoln was a republican.

However, Lincoln wanted to assure them that there was no need to feel threatened by the republican administration because the Union was all that mattered. The letters that Lincoln started writing to other political leaders portrayed his stand on o compromise on the extension of slavery. In his letter to Lyman Trumbull, Lincoln expressed his views on secession. He says “let there be no compromise on the question of extending slavery” (59). The southern states seceded because they wanted slavery to be extended. Lincoln believed in freedom for all.

First Inaugural Address

When Lincoln traveled with his family via train to Washington, he addressed the public at every stop. In his address, he declared his devotion to the preservation of the Union. “He ridiculed secession and sought to rally support for the Union among all citizens” (62). This displayed his blatant disapproval of the secession. News of his speeches was quickly spread by the media. The same media brought to light the selection of Jefferson Davis as the president of the confederacy on 18 February. Jefferson Davis had been a former senator and secretary or war.

He asserted that his method of governing would be in accordance with the constitution.

Therefore, he would not get in the way of the states where slavery existed as they were protected by the constitution and he had no right to do so. The secession, however, “violated the constitution’s assumption of a perpetual union” (63). He compared secession to the union. He argued that the union believed in the safety of the American people while secession was insurgency.

The president stated that he would guarantee protection to all the states as commanded by the constitution and the law. This means he was ready to fight for the rights and freedom of the American people. The new administration would strive for the wellbeing of American citizens by emphasizing on the protection of possessions, harmony and security. This was what the president wanted the southern states that had seceded to understand and work together with him. Equal rights to all Americans, slaves or otherwise was his prime objective.

President Lincoln believed in the perpetuity of the Union of the states. The Union, he said, “is impossible to destroy”. This is because according to the law, the Union cannot be dissolved if one or more countries decide to leave. A country cannot lawfully get out of the Union. This can only be achieved if all the countries in the Union leave it. He adds, “The Union is unbroken”. It is with this regard that Lincoln promised to ensure that all Union laws are implemented in all the states.

The president stated, “There needs to be no bloodshed or violence; and there shall be none, unless it be forced upon the national authority” (66). As much as he was prepared for war, he hoped it would not get to that point where the country would have to go to war. The beginning of the civil war meant loss and suffering of resources and personal effect of the war to the American people. The president also hoped for favorable solutions to national problems and the re-establishment of peace and understanding among member-states. He had nothing to say to those who were trying to destroy the Union.

The idea of secession was that of anarchy. The president felt that there lacked harmony in secession and therefore this would bring about great disadvantages and divisions in terms of war. This was since the secession was made up of only a handful of the states in America so they relied heavily on minority rule, which was unacceptable. Lincoln believed in popular opinions and shared sentiments in the citizens, which emanate from the spirit of freedom in the people who elected him into power.

The American country, even with secession, belonged to the American citizens. This meant that it could not be physically divided or separated. The civil war meant togetherness in terms of sharing resources and protecting the country and its people. The states have to look beyond their borders to find unity because it is the country that comes before all else in matters of emergency and urgency.

The president finalized his address by encouraging unity among American states, their leaders and citizens. He pointed out that the government would never attack its own people but rather protect and defend them. He urges people not to be misled by secession into thinking that his government is their enemy, but instead they should believe that the government is theirs and it is their friend. That even as the secession tries to threaten the unity of the American states; their bonds of affection must not be broken.

Annual Message to Congress

Some foreign countries were gunning their support to the secession. The states that created the confederacy expected a lot of back up from foreign nations but they did not get as much. The foreign countries were only interested in the resources available in America. Lincoln wished the seceded states would open their eyes and realize that they were only being used. The foreign countries knew that the American economy was stable due to the Union and not disloyalty and rebellion among the member states. He also wished the foreign countries would help him to trounce over the rebellion instead of encouraging it.

In a bid to promote accountability, the president seized all property used for rebellious purposes. This was an act of congress, which meant that all secession states that had substantial government or otherwise property had to give up this property according to the law. Lincoln also blocked the ports that were being held by the rebels. This was all done for the good and preservation of the Union and its beliefs, ambitions and everything the member states stood for. These extreme measures were deemed necessary for national development and harmony.

There was a clear distinction between slave states and non-slave states (where slaves were free). This controversy in beliefs is what started the war in the first place. The Union lost its patience after the Fort Sumter was assaulted by the insurgents. When the war broke out, there was a lot of damage. Lincoln reported that “our soldiers were assaulted, bridges were burned and railroads torn up” (90). However, after that, repairs were made and the peace started to prevail in the fighting states. Moreover, many states went back to the Union after the war. “These things show that the cause of the Union is advancing steadily and certainly southward” (91). These states included Maryland, Kentucky and Missouri.

The president talked about slavery as an unfair way of living. He used the example of labor and capital. Neither can function without the other, they are co-dependent on each other in one way or another. He who has capital cannot progress unless he has labor to perform the required duties. Similarly, he who is ready to provide labor has to offer services to the person with capital. Together these two people can achieve inconceivable success. There has to be respect between them both for this to happen, they both have to understand that they are working together and for each other.

In his last remarks in congress, Lincoln emphasized on the need to work together not based on slave and boss but on that of camaraderie and solidarity. He said, “no men living are more worthy to be trusted than those who toil up from poverty” (93). This meant that no single man could make it alone; there is need for togetherness if we desire peace and extensive growth. The unanimity of the states and the Union struggled for the sake of the future of the American people.

Work cited

Lincoln, Abraham, and Michael P. Johnson. Abraham Lincoln, Slavery, and the Civil War: Selected Writings and Speeches. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2011. Print.