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You are a small. Why do you leave out the later quotes? Why do you ignore what Douglas said of Lincoln and of his second inaugural address? Why do you do this? Where is your sense of right and wrong?

I saw a thing on C-Span about the opening of a new wing of something or other in Springfield. They asked the curator about the sort of criticism we see daily from the neo-confederates. He said that the neo-confederates want to "freeze" Mr. Lincoln in time. They want only his early speeches considered. They want to ignore how he grew and changed. So does the disgraceful Lerone Bennett, and for what purpose? -- money-- I suppose.

Walt

What, exactly, compared to slavery, was it that the disgraceful Lincoln considered a greater evil, even to the cause of human liberty itself?

The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, Vol. 2, page 130

LINK

A Greater Evil, Even to the Cause of Human Liberty Itself

Abraham Lincoln
July 6, 1852

HONORS TO HENRY CLAY

Having been led to allude to domestic slavery so frequently already, I am unwilling to close without referring more particularly to Mr. Clay's views and conduct in regard to it. He ever was, on principle and in feeling, opposed to slavery. The very earliest, and one of the latest public efforts of his life, separated by a period of more than fifty years, were both made in favor of gradual emancipation of the slaves in Kentucky. He did not perceive, that on a question of human right, the negroes were to be excepted from the human race. And yet Mr. Clay was the owner of slaves. Cast into life where slavery was already widely spread and deeply seated, he did not perceive, as I think no wise man has perceived, how it could be at once eradicated, without producing a greater evil, even to the cause of human liberty itself.

What exactly is this thing the despicable Lincoln called "the White Man's Charter of Freedom?

THE WHITE MAN'S CHARTER OF FREEDOM
by Abraham Lincoln

LINK

Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865.: Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. Volume 2.

Eulogy on Henry Clay

July 6, 1852

HONORS TO HENRY CLAY

But I would also, if I could, array his name, opinions, and influence against the opposite extreme---against a few, but an increasing number of men, who, for the sake of perpetuating slavery, are beginning to assail and to ridicule the white-man's charter of freedom---the declaration that ``all men are created free and equal.''

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LINK

Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865.: Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. Volume 2.

Speech at Peoria, Illinois

October 16, 1854

In our greedy chase to make profit of the negro, let us beware, lest we ``cancel and tear to pieces'' even the white man's charter of freedom.

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"Grew and changed" makes Lincoln sound like a Democrat.;^)

I would say, "he learned." He was from Springfield, Illinois, out on the frontier. He came to Washington, and for eight years he learned new things every day.

I think it is a wonderful facility, to be able to learn new things. It is a sine qua non for great men and women.

Lincoln was like the fox, who knows many things. Neoconfederates are like the hedgehogs, who know one big thing.

But I do like the argument that neoconfederates want to freeze Lincoln.

My husband is from Illinois, and one of his ancestors was General Emory Upton, a Union general, although he did have one Confederate ancestor who switched sides rather than remain in captivity.

He reads Southern Partisan, which I've looked at, and think is blather, all about the Lost Cause. I grew up in Louisiana, and have lived in the Deep South all my life. I've been studying Louisiana history all my adult life, including a lot about slavery.

Slavery is nothing to romanticize. If I were to admire any way of having slavery, it would be the Spanish laws, which had a legal provision called coartacion, which allowed a slave to purchase his or her freedom by paying the master the slave's own fair market value.

If the master refused to deal, the slave could petition the court for a hearing, and even a lawyer, and an appraisal, and the court would set a price, and if the slave could raise that much money, the court would give them a certificate of freedom.

After Louisiana became a United States territory, this was abolished.

The system of coartacion encouraged slaves to become small time capitalists, and work during their time off, and save money. It was far from ideal, but there was a great deal of humanitarianism that no other system had. It derives from the Roman system.

Neoconfederates buy the Reconstruction myths about moonlight and roses and white pillars and happy darkies frolicking in the quarters. They like living in a fantasy world.