The Republican party was established precisely to prevent the extension of slavery to the territories, but Lincoln realized that even the attainment of that goal would not be enough, and he said so early on at an important moment -- when in fact many of his associates saw it as impolitic to do so -- in the famous "house divided" speech of 1858.
On June 16, 1858, Republican delegates met in Springfield, Illinois, for the Republican state convention and chose Lincoln as their candidate for the U.S. Senate, against Democrat Stephen A. Douglas. That evening Lincoln delivered that speech. He began as follows:
"If we could first know where we are, and whither we are tending, we could then better judge what to do, and how to do it.
"We are now far into the fifth year, since a policy was initiated, with the avowed object, and confident promise, of putting an end to slavery agitation.
"Under the operation of that policy, that agitation has not only, not ceased, but has constantly augmented.
"In my opinion, it will not cease, until a crisis shall have been reached, and passed: 'A house divided against itself cannot stand' [a quotation from the New Testament].
"I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free.
I do not expect the Union to be dissolved -- I do not expect the house to fall -- but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other.
"Either the opponents of slavery, will arrest the further spread of it, and place it where the public mind shall rest in the belief that it is in the course of ultimate extinction; or its advocates will push it forward, till it shall become alike lawful in all the States, old as well as new -- North as well as South..."
That was also the reasoning behind Lincoln's rejection of the Crittenden Compromise (a half-slave, half-free arrangement), between his election and his inauguration, even though the government's leading military figure, Gen. Winfield Scott, said at the time that Lincoln had only four options: (1) adopt the Crittenden Compromise, (2) collect duties outside the ports of seceding states or blockade them, (3) conquer those states at the end of a long, expensive, and desolating war, and to no good purpose, or (4) say to the seceded states, "Wayward sisters, depart in peace!" --CGE
Dennis Perrin wrote:
> Gar:
>
> Honest Abe felt that the war, among other things, might end slavery, but
> again, that was not the reason that war was waged. It was felt that no major
> power would allow its southern half to simply walk off and become a separate
> nation. Southern secession put a serious crimp in plans for U.S. expansion
> (going back to A. Hamilton, among others), and had to stopped, which it was.
> Freeing the slaves was not one of the Rail Splitter's main concerns until
> the war was well underway.
>
>> I think Marx had a thing or two to say on this subject.
>
> Yes -- the bearded one supported Northern aggression. :)
>
> Dennis