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To: Spok
I thought Lincoln once said if he could preserve the union by embracing slavery, he would. I can’t recall the source so I could be wrong-I won’t swear to it. Does anybody know?

He said it a lot, including in his first inaugural address, but the most famous occasion in which he said it was his letter to Horace Greeley.

"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."

30 posted on 12/30/2023 2:45:39 PM PST by DiogenesLamp ("of parents owing allegiance to no other sovereignty.")
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To: DiogenesLamp; Spok

Spok, please note that DiogenesLamp clips off the final sentence. This is the easy “tell” that he is not being completely honest. It is an earmark of a Lost Causer.


39 posted on 12/30/2023 2:57:01 PM PST by HandyDandy (Borders, language and culture. Michael Savage)
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