https://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/10/abraham-lincoln-racist/
But, you say, Lincoln freed the slaves! But that's only after this attempt to avoid the Civil War failed:
Two days before his first inauguration in March 4, 1961, Lincoln and the Republicans passed a proposed 13th Amendment, which enshrined slavery by prohibiting Congress from abolishing or interfering with state-allowed slavery. (Today it is known as the Corwin Amendment.}
https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/abraham-lincoln-and-the-two-13th-amendments
So we should burn our five dollar bills? Tear down the Lincoln Memorial?
Where does the destruction of our history end?
From the fourth Lincoln-Douglas debate. The quote in context:
"While I was at the hotel to—day, an elderly gentleman called upon me to know whether I was really in favor of producing a perfect equality between the negroes and white people. [Great Laughter.] While I had not proposed to myself on this occasion to say much on that subject, yet as the question was asked me I thought I would occupy perhaps five minutes in saying something in regard to it. I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races, [applause]—that I am not nor ever have been in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race. I say upon this occasion I do not perceive that because the white man is to have the superior position the negro should be denied every thing. I do not understand that because I do not want a negro woman for a slave I must necessarily want her for a wife. [Cheers and laughter.] My understanding is that I can just let her alone. I am now in my fiftieth year, and I certainly never have had a black woman for either a slave or a wife. So it seems to me quite possible for us to get along without making either slaves or wives of negroes. I will add to this that I have never seen, to my knowledge, a man, woman or child who was in favor of producing a perfect equality, social and political, between negroes and white men. I recollect of but one distinguished instance that I ever heard of so frequently as to be entirely satisfied of its correctness—and that is the case of Judge Douglas’s old friend Col. Richard M. Johnson. [Laughter.] I will also add to the remarks I have made (for I am not going to enter at large upon this subject), that I have never had the least apprehension that I or my friends would marry negroes if there was no law to keep them from it, [laughter] but as Judge Douglas and his friends seem to be in great apprehension that they might, if there were no law to keep them from it, [roars of laughter] I give him the most solemn pledge that I will to the very last stand by the law of this State, which forbids the marrying of white people with negroes. [Continued laughter and applause.] I will add one further word, which is this: that I do not understand that there is any place where an alteration of the social and political relations of the negro and the white man can be made except in the State Legislature—not in the Congress of the United States—and as I do not really apprehend the approach of any such thing myself, and as Judge Douglas seems to be in constant horror that some such danger is rapidly approaching, I propose as the best means to prevent it that the Judge be kept at home and placed in the State Legislature to fight the measure. [Uproarious laughter and applause.] I do not propose dwelling longer at this time on this subject."
As you can see Lincoln was mocking Douglas and making fun of his fears of amalgamation and certainly not promoting them. Douglas raised the issue of racial equality and amalgamation during all the seven debates, forcing Lincoln time and again to show he was not the wild-eyed radical that Douglas wanted to portray him as. Here is a quote from the first debate which I believe explains Lincoln's beliefs more clearly:
" I will say here, while upon this subject, that I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so. I have no purpose to introduce political and social equality between the white and the black races. There is a physical difference between the two, which, in my judgment, will probably forever forbid their living together upon the footing of perfect equality, and inasmuch as it becomes a necessity that there must be a difference, I, as well as Judge Douglas, am in favor of the race to which I belong having the superior position. I have never said anything to the contrary, but I hold that, notwithstanding all this, there is no reason in the world why the negro is not entitled to all the natural rights enumerated in the Declaration of Independence, the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. [Loud cheers.] I hold that he is as much entitled to these as the white man. I agree with Judge Douglas he is not my equal in many respects-certainly not in color, perhaps not in moral or intellectual endowment. But in the right to eat the bread, without the leave of anybody else, which his own hand earns, he is my equal and the equal of Judge Douglas, and the equal of every living man."
What other leader of the period was saying that a black man was his equal in any way, much less in deserving the same rights as a white man?
Also, this man lived over 150 years ago, in a significantly less enlightened era.
Apples and oranges.
Holding the same sentiments in the modern day is even more heinous, given the growth of our national character that has occurred since human beings were treated as property through the 1860's in this country.
Lincoln harbored racist ideas which were entirely prevalent at the time. That was then. This is now. learn the difference.
It's important to understand that Abraham Lincoln was a deeply flawed man in many ways. If he held the same beliefs today, he wouldn't be electorally viable.
So I'm not sure what pointing out Lincoln's flaws accomplishes. Everybody with even marginal knowledge of the man and the era knows that he harbored bigotry towards Blacks.
And yet he was also, the Great Emancipator. That goes a long way towards atoning for such prejudice, wouldn't you say?
The fact is, all men—including Black men—are created equal, and endowed by their Creator with Unalienable Rights. The fact that imperfect, slave-owning men such as Thomas Jefferson penned such idealistic words does not dilute their nobility, their wisdom—their near perfection.
I've long held that many of the Founders' lofty words were far more noble and perfect than the sinful, flawed men who wrote and uttered them.
That's why the efforts of "We the People" to "form a more perfect Union" is a work in progress—an ideal to be constantly pursued. The pursuit is almost as important as reaching the ultimate goal.
Republican President Abraham Lincoln—although a flawed man in the pantheon of imperfect men—and the American people, helped America along the path towards forming "a more perfect Union, establishing Justice, ensuring domestic tranquility, and reaching the other ideals enumerated in the Preamble to the US Constitution...
I don`t know if he was right or wrong but we are self destructing.
Lincoln didn't say that.
That was something James Mitchell, the Commissioner for Emigration, wrote to Lincoln.
If you get that wrong, it doesn't say much for your research.
So, he shared the beliefs of virtually every other early-mid 19th century American.
This is idiotic.