Editorial: Mr. Lincoln’s Views on Slavery-His Course Towards the South (11/5/1860)

New York Times - Times Machine ^ | 11/5/1860

[Homer_J_Simpson]

To the Editor of the New-York Times: You, of course, must be aware that at the approaching election there will be thousands of votes deposited against LINCOLN by men who are probably as much opposed to the extension of Slavery as he is. Why is this? Simply because they believe that Mr. LINCOLN means to wield the power of the party, whose head he is, directly against the South, and her cherished institution. And why do they hold this belief? Because the language of Mr. LINCOLN's speeches admits very plainly of such a construction. Now, it is useless for you or other Republican Editors to undertake to reassure such men, or to convince them that they are mistaken in their interpretation of Mr. LINCOLN's words. They, of course, suppose themselves quite as capable as you of arriving at a man's true meaning and intent from the language of which he makes use. I take it for granted that, confident as the Republicans feel of success, they would not object to having that success made still more certain. What then is to be done? Let Mr. LINCOLN come forth boldly and state in words that can admit of no question, that in case of his election, so far from interfering with Slavery where it now exists, he will, as in duty bound by his inaugural oath protect and uphold the South in her rights in this respect. You tell us this is what Mr. LINCOLN means. If so, let us have his own assertion to that effect. During the past four weeks, I have, as occasion offered, questioned forty-seven gentlemen with regard to their views as to the approaching election. Eight of them I found to be Republicans.

[Homer_J_Simpson]

Free Republic University, Department of History presents U.S. History, 1855-1860: Seminar and Discussion Forum
Bleeding Kansas, Dred Scott, Lincoln-Douglas, Harper’s Ferry, the election of 1860, secession – all the events leading up to the Civil War, as seen through news reports of the time and later historical accounts

First session: November 21, 2015. Last date to add: Sometime in the future.
Reading: Self-assigned. Recommendations made and welcomed.

Posting history, in reverse order

To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by reply or freepmail.

Link to previous New York Times thread

[Homer_J_Simpson]

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[Homer_J_Simpson]

Editorial: Mr. Lincoln’s Views on Slavery-His Course Towards the South – 2-3
The Prospects of Secession – 3-4
Editorial: The Republicans and Slavery – 4

[Verginius Rufus]

Frederick Douglass tops the list of electors for the Radical Abolitionist party. The W. C. Bryant who is the first name on the list of Republican electors must be the famous poet William Cullen Bryant (author of Thanatopsis).

I wonder how many of those electors cast votes for Biden this year?

[BroJoeK]

"I wonder how many of those electors cast votes for Biden this year?"

They only vote Democrat after they're dead.