And?
It's very simple, the South went to war to preserve, protect and expand slavery.
The North went to war to save the Union.
It was only midway into the war, the North made it a war about abolishing slavery for good.
Lincoln was very clear in his many speeches before, he knew Constitutionally, he could not end slavery - but he himself, and his GOP platform called for an end to expanding slavery in the territories and new states. The south never gave him a chance, and most states seceeded and had commenced hostilities before he ever stepped into office,
==========Here's something else on that quote:
"At the time, Lincoln was closing in on an end to slavery. He’d met quietly with his Cabinet members and shared with them a draft of the Emancipation Proclamation. He needed to secure the support of the border states before taking action, and he knew the timing of emancipation would be vital. Lincoln was waiting for a Northern victory to set the stage for his announcement, but in the meantime, Greeley’s attack demanded a response.
Horace Greeley's editorial appeared in the August 20 edition of the New York Tribune. Click on the image to see the full article. | President Lincoln's response appeared in the August 25 edition of the Tribune. Click on the image to see the full article. |
Lincoln replied in an open letter to Greeley. In the letter, Lincoln emphasized his primary goal:
“I would save the Union. … If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it; and if could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it. … What I do about Slavery and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save this Union.” In this masterful message, Lincoln reaffirmed his support for abolition without apologizing for the pace of change, while also subtly preparing pro-slavery Union loyalists for the announcement to come."
"I Would Save the Union"
This is the full letter from Lincoln:
Abraham Lincoln's Letter to Horace Greeley