Re: Are the Ten Commandments the foundation ofthe Anglo-Americanlegal system?

[Paul Finkelman]

I suspect that Lincoln's extremely complicated views on race, and his 
actual policies towards blacks are well beyond the scope of this list 
serve.  I will simply point out that Lincoln was the first president to 
invite a black man into the White House, the first President to ask for 
the advice of a black, the first President endorse blacks as officers in 
the military, the first President to invite a black to his inauguration 
and to greet him in public as his friend, the first President to endorse 
black male suffrage, and I believe the first President to appoint a 
black to public office. Given the racial attitudes of most white 
American at the time, it is pretty hard to argue that Lincoln was "a bad 
man."  It would have been nice if all presidents before Lincoln (and 
most after) were equally "bad."

Newsom Michael wrote:
Paul, you give Lincoln far too much credit, I fear.  Take a look at his
relations with African-Americans, his condescension, and worse.  On the
subject of race, he was a bad man, pure and simple.
-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Finkelman [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] 
Sent: Monday, December 20, 2004 10:51 PM
To: Law & Religion issues for Law Academics
Subject: Re: Are the Ten Commandments the foundation ofthe
Anglo-Americanlegal system?

... Lincoln resurrected the promise of the D of I at 
Gettysburg and in his five years as President.  ...
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--
Paul Finkelman
Chapman Distinguished Professor
University of Tulsa College of Law
3120 East 4th Place
Tulsa, Oklahoma  74104-2499
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