[southernsunshine]

Lincoln’s reasons were clear and unwavering - he sought to hold the union together. The notion that he “waged war to free the slaves” is one attributed to him, not by him.

From the Gettysburg Address:

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

...that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom...

What was he talking about?

[rockrr]

It was an acknowledgment of the sacrifice of soldiers and a reaffirmation of the founding principles of our country.