> > I opined:
> >
> > <<It [the Republican Party] was founded to assert federal
soverignity over
> > the states and to free the slaves.>>
>
> and Julius ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) wrote - and before you read on, he is
absolutely
> right, in fact this morning I was thinking about the Free Soil Party
and when
> was the last time I thought of them? - so thank you Julius for your
further and
> corrective word.
> > I split hairs on the distinction because opposition to the
Kansas-Nebraska
> > act, the primary impetus for the formation of the Republican
party, was not
> > based solely on the abolitionist cause. For instance, staunchly
democratic
> > Southern Illinois was angered at the act because residents feared
that
> > opening Kansas to slaveholders would prevent the settlement of
small farmers
> > like themselves.
I watched a program on Lincoln on the Biography channel this past
weekend and learned a thing or two about the political climate of the
country with regard to slavery at this point of our history. Part of
the uproar about Kansas & Nebraska was that each slave was counted as
three-fifths of a man in determining representation in congress. Some
of those opposed to expanding slavery were motivated by an aversion to
giving the South more political power. Not all opposition to the
spread of slavery in the U S was moral outrage at the heinous evil
that it was. That was my understanding anyway. Please correct me if
I'm wrong.
I also found out that Lincoln's primary motivation in drafting &
signing the Emancipation Proclamation was to cripple the South and
hasten the end of the Civil War. He was reluctant to legislate the
end of slavery and initially wanted to deport the freed slaves to a
colony that would be established in Africa, feeling that their
continued presence in this country would do more harm than good.
Later when the war continued to drag on, Lincoln felt compelled to
allow the freed slaves to join the Union army & help win the war. It
was only after their proven dedication and bravery that Lincoln's
thinking began to change as to the status of these people and
eventually he came around to favoring their enfranchisement and
acceptance as full U S citizens. This proved to be fatal for Lincoln
when he was assassinated by the White Supremacist John Wilkes Booth
after making informal comments about giving the freed slaves the vote
& making them citizens to a crowd gathered outside the White House.
History lesson over for today. (and please correct me if any of this
is inaccurate)
Mark in Seattle
