Reading this makes me want to verbally abuse a white police officer!
Far from uniquely "obsessed", Lincoln's views on this subject were well within the tradition of presidents' thinking going all the way back to at least Thomas Jefferson:
Former President Madison also contemplated sending freed slaves back to Africa:
President Monroe, as Virginia governor also considered returning freed slaves to Africa:
Even George Washington: "expressed moral support for plans by his friend the Marquis de Lafayette to emancipate slaves and resettle them elsewhere, but he did not assist him in the effort."
Point is: the question of resettling freed slaves was on the minds of our Founders, from the beginning.
What was unique and different about President Lincoln is that he actually invited former slaves to the White House, to express their own opinions on what they wanted.
So Lincoln was perhaps surprised to learn that returning to Africa was not their first choice.
Not necessarily Africa, but he did want to send them to Central America and colonize it.
http://www.nps.gov/liho/historyculture/debate4.htm
...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.]...
Abraham Lincoln is an easy target for people like Gates who choose to judge him by 21st century standards. The fact is that his opinions were no worse, and in many ways far better, than his peers both North and South. Boiled down to the basics, Lincoln was wise enough to see that free blacks would not be welcomed by the average white person, that they would be met with racism and discrimination on a scale not imagined to date, and that carving out a life free from those conditions might not have been a bad thing. History has proven he was right in the acceptance area. Why couldn’t he have also been right in their ability to create their own society?
May I suggest you watch the Movie “Cotton Comes To Harlem”. It will explain everything just listen to Coffin Ed Johnson and Grave Digger Jones two of NYPD’s finest and they will sort it all out for you
Well, Lincoln had many queer ideas! Most of them had to do with people of his same race and gender, but many queer ideas he had.