There are those who will paint him as a moral idealist set upon freedom for all slaves at any cost, and on the other end of the spectrum there are those who believe that he would leave the slave in bondage to bring an end to the war. It is my view that the former is probably closer to the truth. Have read many of his speeches, letters and autobiographies I am left with the opinion that Lincoln suffered at the thought of the sufferance of slaves. .
He made it clear even early in his career that he was opposed at least to the spread of slavery. His response to Douglas in 1854 makes it clear that he is opposed to slavery spreading any further than it already has. "This declared indifference, but as I must think, covert zeal for the spread of slavery I hate it because it deprives our republican example of its just influence criticizing the Declaration of Independence, and insisting that there is no right principle of action but self-interest." This speech clearly illustrates Lincoln's belief that slavery in not a morally or constitutionally correct institution.
In his examination of Lincoln's presidency Philip Shaw Paludan, states of Lincoln that .
"He believed that equality would be realized only through the proper operation of existing institutions. And slavery threatened that orderly evolution. Lincoln always believed that slavery was wrong and that its wrongness lay in its corruption of the realization of ideals of equality as they were manifested and given life within the entire economic-constitutional-political process." .
Paludan clearly believes that Lincoln opposed slavery for all of it evils not simply as a moral wrong but also as an unconstitutional situation and impractical political position. However Lincoln was also unable to be a champion of total equality, even if that is what he was, because he knew that it would be unacceptable to too many voters. He knew that had he put forth such a position it could lead only to his sure and swift defeat.
