Not sure I agree with you on that, but for the sake of argument let's say he did. Post a quote from Lincoln saying the war was all about ending slavery and you will support your point.
When Lincoln declared “if I could save it (the union) by freeing all the slaves I would do it” he may have actually been stating his intentions . . . and his lack of commitment to the constitution and rule of law.
Not likely at all because earlier in the letter Lincoln says, "I would save it the shortest way under the Constitution." Obviously if Lincoln said he would free all the slaves he meant only if he could do it under Constitutional means. Which is why he pushed through the 13th Amendment.
The constitution did not permit Lincoln to free all the slaves - unless he had the votes to pass a constitutional amendment. Some here on this board have done the math and assure me he did not have the necessary votes. And Lincoln knew he did not have the votes.
And Lincoln did not free all the slaves. Not until he had the votes to get the 13th Amendment out of Congress and to the states. Were you not aware that it was passed under Lincoln's time in office and was well on its way to ratification when he was killed?
So Lincoln did what he did at a cost of over 600,000 dead. He destroyed the union to save it but we lost the constitution.
Complete nonsense. The South launched their rebellion, Lincoln worked to suppress it. The 600,000 dead were the results of Southern acts and not Northern ones. Unless you count no completely surrendering to Southern demands the moment Sumter was bombarded.
Good responses.