The stance that Abraham Lincoln takes on the issue of slavery is one that when viewed in its own right, makes ethical and logical sense. He intends to gradual free the slaves, stating, “It saves
them from the vagrant destitution which must largely attend immediate emancipation in
localities where their numbers are very great; and it gives the inspiring assurance that
their posterity shall be free forever.” He also talks of compensation in one of his articles in his address, believing it to be fair and just. However, when one looks at his views on race, a very different picture is portrayed. He says that, “There is a
physical difference between the two, which, in my judgment, will probably forever forbid
their living together upon the footing of perfect equality, and inasmuch as it becomes a
necessity that there must be a difference, I, as well as Judge Douglas, am in favor of the race to which I belong having the superior position. I have never said anything to the
contrary…” His plans even include possibly sending the black population back to Africa. A great example is when he holds a conference with a black group, telling them he planned to colonize Central America with them, using at least twenty five “tolerantly intelligent men.” Clearly, he did not have a view of equality. These two different views are incredibly different it seems, though Lincoln seems to have more pity than respect for the slave population. He even says himself that although the African population is inferior in his eyes, “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.”
This is an interesting position to take, especially when a large portion of the American population thought of Lincoln as someone who was against racism. In reality, he was against slavery specifically; not the equality of the races themselves. This must have been a popular or respected view of slavery from many people at that time. It was not yet close enough to the Civil Rights Movement to have a decent majority of the population advocating for total equality, but there must have been some against slavery like Lincoln was. Lincoln specifically addresses at least three times that he has been viewed as someone who loves black people and would marry them, but he wholeheartedly refuses this view. He still views them as inferior, he reassures. It brings to question the exact motives of abolitionists in general. Exactly how many were there, and even more interestingly, how many were advocates for total equality; not just in the removal of slavery, but also in the equality of race? If the president had this view, then there must have been a substantial amount of followers to this point of view. One must wonder when racial equality started to really take off as a majority, not just anti-slavery. However, despite Lincoln’s obvious racism, he did mark himself in history as taking one of the first and most important steps to equality: by abolishing slavery.

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