1860’s Republicans were the anti-slavery party. And democrats were the slavery party and later the party of Jim Crow.
I lived in the Jim Crow South - it was a one party oppressive democrat party that ran the white citizen councils, KKK, and filled the ranks of every political office from Governors to dog catchers for the whole region for decades.
Democrats went from ‘blacks can do no right’ to ‘blacks can do no wrong’. Both position toxic to the black community.
“I lived in the Jim Crow South . . .”
Did you ever live, or visit, in the Jim Crow North and see any of the segregated ghettos?
They were more than that. They favored big government, high taxes, protectionism, large government projects, and social change.
Their billing as an anti-slavery party was severely damaged when in March of 1861, the Republican controlled House and Senate voted by a 2/3rds majority to pass the Corwin Amendment to preserve slavery indefinitely.
Their positions as the "anti-slavery party" was just a sales pitch, because when they had the chance to vote *AGAINST* slavery, they voted for it.
Just like modern politicians, they say one thing and do another.