Transcript: Lincoln's Early Views

Gates: In Lincoln’s case, much of the most heated criticism that dogged him during the Civil War has been forgotten. Today, he basks in history’s glow: a moral giant. And nothing contributes more to his stature than his decision to free the slaves. Gates: But even this story is far more complicated than we’ve been taught. Blight: Well the traditional one might even say legendary narrative about Lincoln and the emancipation is that Abraham Lincoln one day freed the slaves and that all across the south slaves were gathered together and told about this proclamation and from that day forward they were free which is, of course, nonsense.

Gates: From the moment he took office, Lincoln was pressured from every side to act on the issue of slavery -- most notably by the former slave turned abolitionist and editor, the great Frederick Douglass.

Blight: Douglass was a ferocious critic of Abraham Lincoln. He was calling him everything from a “slave hound” to “the most powerful slave-catcher in the United States,” and so forth.

Blight: Douglass, was an essentially radical abolitionist. He hated compromising with slavery. He was impatient with the political process with slavery. And one of the reasons that Frederick Douglass became such an intense critic of Lincoln's in the first year of the war is because suddenly here was this opportunity. Here was this chance to end it, end the cause of the war and win the war by destroying slavery. And what happens, but the Lincoln administration returns fugitive slaves; does not want to make war on slavery.

Instead Lincoln proposed a compromise that he believed might appeal to Southerners and Northerners alike: pay off slave owners and ask the freed slaves to leave the country for new colonies in Panama or in Liberia

On August 14th 1862, Lincoln invited five prominent freed black men to the white house hoping to enlist their help for his plan.

Blight: One way of interpreting that famous, infamous meeting is that this was Lincoln using a moment to appeal to public opinion. Assuaging the fears of white racists out there.

Blight: I don't buy that. He had for too long believed in colonization, worked for colonization, He's still arguing it in 1862.

Blight: Well in the end, this war would not allow, history you could say, would not allow a cushioned overthrow of slavery. It was going to have to be bludgeoned out of existence.