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Abraham Lincoln on the draft...
Abraham Lincoln on the draft...
Item # 706599
August 12, 1863
NEW YORK TRIBUNE, Aug. 12, 1863
* President Abraham Lincoln letter
* American Civil War conscription
The top of the first column has: "President Lincoln On The Draft" "Retaliation for Abuse of Colored Troops" which has his letter signed in type: A. Lincoln. Also: "Lee Expected To Attack Meade" "End of the Naval Campaign in the Mississippi" and more.
Eight pages, printing crease near the top, very nice condition.
AI notes: Abraham Lincoln’s letter to Horace Greeley, written on August 8, 1863, was a clear and decisive expression of his wartime priorities, particularly in response to Greeley’s outspoken criticism of Lincoln’s handling of slavery and emancipation. In this letter, Lincoln articulated his primary objective during the Civil War: the preservation of the Union. While acknowledging that slavery was morally wrong, Lincoln made it clear that his actions on the issue were driven by what he believed was necessary to save the Union, not by a personal desire to end slavery outright. He wrote, "My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery." He went on to explain that if he could preserve the Union by freeing all slaves, he would do so, but if he could preserve it without touching slavery, he would also choose that route. His position was pragmatic: he was willing to take different courses of action on slavery as long as they contributed to the Union’s survival, even if it meant leaving some slaves in bondage. This letter encapsulates Lincoln's balancing act—his moral opposition to slavery alongside his deep commitment to winning the war and maintaining the integrity of the United States. The letter also foreshadowed his evolving views on emancipation, which would culminate in the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, showing how his approach was shaped by both political necessity and moral conviction.
Category: Yankee
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