Well, that statement is not well supported in the record. - Whiskey Papa
The hell it isn't! Lincoln only expressed this willingness and enthusiastically endorsed the permanent protection of slavery in places where it existed in his inaugural address. If an inaugural address is not record enough to support the assertion, nothing is in your mind. That is because your mind is already made up on this matter. In the meantime, I refer you to post 148 which I will repost part of for your convenience:
"I understand a proposed amendment to the Constitution—which amendment, however, I have not seen—has passed Congress, to the effect that the Federal Government shall never interfere with the domestic institutions of the States, including that of persons held to service. To avoid misconstruction of what I have said, I depart from my purpose not to speak of particular amendments so far as to say that, holding such a provision to now be implied constitutional law, I have no objection to its being made express and irrevocable." - Abraham Lincoln speaking a the Inauguration of the 16th President of the United States, March 4, 1861
And no, that was not political expedience talking. That was Abraham Lincoln talking. And no, he did not expect slavery to "die out" as the amendment he endorse specifically perpetuated slavery as an indefinite and unrepealable institution. In Lincoln's own words, he had "no objection" to amending the constitution of the united states to specifically prohibit the government from ever interfering with the "domestic institution" of "persons held to service" (READ: SLAVERY) and making such an amendment "express and irrevocable."
Simplistic.
Too, the quote you provide doesn't support your statement; it was not 'unrepealable"; it was left to the states. Big difference. You might want to re-read the proposed amendment.
Now, Lincoln, as I as say, among his many gifts, was a pragmatic man. He knew that if slavery were limited to the areas where it existed and was not allowed to expand into other states and terrtories, it would ultimately die. The slave holders knew that too, and they said as much:
"Finally a great party was organized for the purpose of obtaining the administration of the Government with the avowed object of using its power for the total exclusion of the slave States from all participation in the benefits of the public domain acquired by al1 the States in common, whether by conquest or purchase; of surrounding them entirely by States in which slavery should be prohibited; of those rendering the property in slaves so insecure as to be comparatively worthless, and thereby annihilating in effect property worth thousands of millions of dollars."
--Jefferson Davis
Your statement that Lincoln opposed slavery only as a war measure is simply NOT supported in the record.
Walt