That wasn't president Lincoln's fault. The Constitution clearly protected slavery.
But the London Spectator, you say?
The [London] Spectator continued" "He is not malignant against foreign countries; on the contrary, thinks they have behaved rather better than he expected. No power in Europe can take offense at the wording of the [12/01/62] Message, nor can anyone say that the Republic bends to dictation, or craves in any undignified way for foreign forbearance. The words might have been more elegant, bur the astutest diplomatist could have accomplished no more, and might, perhaps, have shown a reticence less complete."
The gist of the message was epitomized: "Mr. Lincoln has from the first explained that he is the exponent of the national will. He has not merely recognized it. Amidst a cloud of words and phrases, which, often clever, are always too numerous, a careful observer may detect two clear and definite thoughts. 1. The President will assent to no peace upon any terms which imply a dissolution of the Union. 2. He holds that the best reconstruction will be that which is accompanied by measures for the final extinction of slavery." '
In the President's discussions of peace, said the Spectator, "He expresses ideas, which, however quaint, have nevertheless a kind of dreamy vastness not without its attraction. The thoughts of the man are too big for his mouth." He was saying that a nation can be divided but "the earth abideth forever," that a generation could be crushed but geography dictated that the Union could not be sundered. As to the rivers and mountains, "all are better than one or either, and all of right belong to this people and their successors forever." No possible severing of the land but would multiply and not mitigate the evils among the American States.
"It is an oddly worded argument," said the Spectator, "the earth being treated as If it were a living creature, an Estate of the Republic with an equal vote on its destiny." In the proposals for gradual emancipated compensation there was magnitude: "Mr. Lincoln has still the credit of having been first among American statesmen to rise to the situation, to strive that reconstruction shall not mean a new lease for human bondage."
--Abraham Lincoln, The War Years, Vol. II, pp.331-333, by Carl Sandburg
Quote the Spectator all you like.
Walt
Yes, it did. As was known by those union slave states fighting on the side of the North in the "war to free the slaves". If it was a "war to free the slaves", then it was really a "war against the constitution", wasn't it. Who's a traitor? (relax, it wasn't a "war to free the slaves", it was a "war to preserve the union".) If it was a "war to free the slaves", the US wouldn't have been adding ANOTHER slave state (WV) in the middle of it.
Quote the Spectator all you like.
Glad you agree with their correct and rather blunt assessment of the EP.