Strengthening Constitutional Self-Government

No Left Turns

Guelzo on Gettysburg

It’s always appropriate to reflect on the greatness of Lincoln, and so the Richmond Times-Dispatch (as in Richmond, Virginia) ran a Sunday column by our friend Allen Guelzo, who tidily and masterfully explains why Lincoln deserves the title "Great Emancipator." I know, it’s a bit early to commemorate Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address (Nov. 19, 1863), but Guelzo’s column is truly a cerebral pause that refreshes. Give it a perusal.   

Discussions - 2 Comments

I’m not sure we should be so ready to discount the politically and militarily strategic nature of the Emancipation Proclamation. The proclamation - because it was extra-constitutional - was precisely only done to achieve political and strategic goals; namely, to keep Europe out of the war and to preserve the Union. It didn’t, and couldn’t, free a single slave - and Lincoln knew this. But, that’s not what it was really intended to do. It is arguable that from the perspective of even the Confederate leaders, at this point in time (late ’62 - ’63), the destruction of slavery was a foregone conclusion. (Certainly by late ’63). I’m sure Lincoln was proud of his mantle of "great emancipator", but I’m equally sure that he was (for an unfortunately brief time) more proud of the fact that the Union was preserved. His stated intent was always to preserve the Union - above and irrespective of the status of slavery. He simply found a great political and strategic means to accomplish both goals.

As a fellow Morel, I couldn’t agree with you more!

As with our situation in Iraq, that we may be viewed (and by some, are) as liberators is nice frosting on the cake of deposing a dangerous regime, increasing our National Security and safeguarding oil supplies at the same time.

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