[bluecollarman]

You be the judge

"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-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." - Abraham Lincoln

[basil]

Good grief! Obviously, I've never paid much attention to ole Abe!

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

No fair! You can't bring facts to this debate. It's not nearly as much fun as people getting to spout off whatever random and baseless "facts" they create in their heads.

[Capt. Tom]

You beat me to it.

In years past,while reading the Lincoln Douglas Fourth Joint Debate , Charleston, September 18, 1858 I was amazed at how the racism of Lincoln had been ignored and glossed over through the years, and not discussed in American history classes.

It appears he deserves the title "Honest Abe". - Tom

[garylmoore]

"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

It was the mindset in those days, all white people thought that way as many do today.

[Non-Sequitur]

Why not include this line? "...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. 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."

Can you point to a quote from any Southern leader of the time which indicated they believed the black man had any rights at all that a white man was bound to respect?

[griswold3]

Many FR's know the speech.
Why did Obama ignored it?
The folks at the 'State of The Black Union' in Jamestown, VA didn't let the opportunity slip by.