He [Stephen Douglas] is blowing out the moral lights around us, when he contends that whoever wants slaves has a right to hold them; that he is penetrating, so far as lies in his power, the human soul, and eradicating the light of reason and the love of liberty, when he is in every possible way preparing the public mind, by his vast influence, for making the institution of slavery perpetual and national. --October 7, 1858 Lincoln-Douglas Debate at Galesburg, Illinois

April 10, 2015 - Lincoln Quote on Slavery

"Now, I confess myself as belonging to that class in the country who contemplate slavery as a moral, social and political evil, having due regard for its actual existence amongst us and the difficulties of getting rid of it in any satisfactory way, and to all the constitutional obligations which have been thrown about it; but, nevertheless, desire a policy that looks to the prevention of it as a wrong, and looks hopefully to the time when as a wrong it may come to an end." ... edited by Roy P. Basler, Volume III, "Lincoln-Douglas Debate at Galesburg" (October 7, 1858), p.

January 20, 2026 - This website provides a list of individuals and organizations who worked to end slavery in the United States, as well as historic documentation on the anti-slavery and abolition movements in the US.

. . grow stronger, the ignorant, wiser; and all better, and happier together." Lincoln also says of those who strive "to prove slavery a very good thing, we never hear of the man who wishes to take the good of it,

October 30, 2019 - I would save it the shortest way under the Constitution. The sooner the national authority can be restored; the nearer the Union will be “the Union as it was.” If there be those who would not save the Union, unless they could at the same time save slavery, I do not agree with them....

What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union.

Abraham Lincoln's letter to George Robertson of Lexington, Kentucky (August 15, 1855), later published in "Early speeches of Abraham Lincoln, 1830-1860" by Lincoln Financial Foundation Collection, 1909. Now, I confess myself as belonging to that class in the country who contemplate slavery as a moral, social and political evil, having due regard for its actual existence amongst us and the difficulties of getting rid of it in any satisfactory way, and to all the constitutional obligations which have been thrown about it; but, nevertheless, desire a policy that looks to the prevention of it as a wrong, and looks hopefully to the time when as a wrong it may come to an end.

July 2, 2026 - Lincoln on Slavery

February 23, 2021 - One of Lincoln's many notes to himself suggests a man wrestling with the conflict between democracy and slavery and what he should do about it.

Lincoln wrote a response to New York Tribune editor Horace Greeley on August 22, 1862, a response almost identical in sentiment to Grant's: "My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any ...

If I could save the Union without ... I would also do that. What I do about slavery and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save thise Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union....

If I could save the Union without ... I would also do that. What I do about Slavery and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save this Union, and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union....

July 14, 2021 - The posts ( here , here ) attribute to Lincoln the words: “If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it” and to Lee the quote: “There is a terrible war coming and these young men who have never seen war cannot wait ...

On the other hand, the free states carry on their government on the principle of the equality of men. We think slavery is morally wrong, and a direct violation of that principle. We all think it wrong.

Liberty was the cornerstone of ... elsewhere. In the Peoria speech, Mr. Lincoln said: “This declared indifference, but as I must think, covert real zeal for the spread of slavery, I can not but hate....

June 15, 2018 - In the letter to Horace Greeley, ... states “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 by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would also do that.”Lincoln was strictly ...

We have got to deal with the slavery question, and got to give much more attention to it hereafter.”25 Eleven years later, Mr. Lincoln wrote in notes for political speeches that the Americans “must have a national policy in regard [slavery] which deals with it as being a wrong.”26 As ...

Quotes from Abraham Lincoln · 1. "If the negro is a man, why then my ancient faith teaches me that