Posted on February 20, 2009 - by Venik

Obama’s Idol

When in the course of human events, a legend becomes greater than the man, prick of the hollow needle of history helps let out stale air of misconceptions. The Great Emancipator might not have thought Negroes were actual men, but Honest Abe indeed was honest and consistent in his believes and statements to that end.

At every opportunity in public speaking and personal correspondence Lincoln sought to clarify and reinforce his position on slavery and the social status of Negroes. Lincoln believed that slavery was wrong not because it violated rights of the Negroes – Lincoln did not believe Negroes had any rights – but because slave ownership degraded morality of the white race.

Lincoln presided over (and indeed initiated) the deadliest war in American history. He viewed slaves as means to an end, the end being preservation of the Union. According to Lincoln, not just owning Negroes was degrading to the white man, but even sharing the same country with them was morally reprehensible.

If slaves had to be promised freedom to encourage them to fight on the Union’s side, the best thing to do after the fighting was over, in Honest Abe’s mind, was to put them on a boat and ship them back to Africa. Now that Americans have elected their first Negro president, a quick look at his idol may be in order. These and many other deep thoughts by the Great Emancipator can be found in the Abraham Lincoln, Complete Works, The Century Co., New York, 1907.

“Negro equality! Fudge!! How long, in the government of a God, great enough to make and maintain this Universe, shall there continue knave to vend, and fools to gulp, so low a piece of demagoguism as this?”

(Fragments: Notes for Speeches Sept. 1859, Vol. III)

“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 – 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 forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And in as much 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.”

(4th Debate with Stephan A. Douglas in Illinois, September 1858)

“My first impulse would be to free all the slaves, and send them to Liberia…”

(Mr. Lincoln’s Reply in the Ottawa Joint Debate, August 21, 1858)

“My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union.”

(Abraham Lincoln’s Letter to Horace Greeley, August 22, 1862)

“But what shall we do with the Negroes after they are free? I believe that it would be better to export them all to some fertile country with a good climate, which they could have to themselves.”

(Letter to General Benjamin F. Butler, March 1865, Vol. VII)

“In the course of his reply, the Senator remarked that he had always considered this a government made for the white people and not for the Negroes. Why, in point of mere fact, I think so, too.”

(Speech at Peoria, Illinois, Oct. 1854, Vol. II)

“Judge Douglas has said to you that he has not been able to get an answer out of me tot he question whether I am in favor of Negro citizenship. So far as I know, the Judge never asked me the question before. He shall have no occasion to ever ask it again, for I tell him very frankly that I am not in favor of Negro citizenship. If the state of Illinois has the power to grant Negroes citizenship, I shall be opposed to it. That is all I have to say.”

(Speech at Springfield, Illinois, June 1857, Vol. II)

"One good turn deserves another", Aug. 9 1861

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