what did lincoln mean in last part of cooper union adress?

Question

In this last part of cooper union address given by abe lincoln, in nyc, ny on february 27, 1860;

Nor can we justifiably withhold this, on any ground save our conviction that slavery is wrong. If slavery is right, all words, acts, laws, and constitutions against it, are themselves wrong, and should be silenced, and swept away. If it is right, we cannot justly object to its nationality - its universality; if it is wrong, they cannot justly insist upon its extension - its enlargement. All they ask, we could readily grant, if we thought slavery right; all we ask, they could as readily grant, if they thought it wrong. Their thinking it right, and our thinking it wrong, is the precise fact upon which depends the whole controversy. Thinking it right, as they do, they are not to blame for desiring its full recognition, as being right; but, thinking it wrong, as we do, can we yield to them? Can we cast our votes with their view, and against our own? In view of our moral, social, and political responsibilities, can we do this?

Wrong as we think slavery is, we can yet afford to let it alone where it is, because that much is due to the necessity arising from its actual presence in the nation; but can we, while our votes will prevent it, allow it to spread into the National Territories, and to overrun us here in these Free States? If our sense of duty forbids this, then let us stand by our duty, fearlessly and effectively. Let us be diverted by none of those sophistical contrivances wherewith we are so industriously plied and belabored - contrivances such as groping for some middle ground between the right and the wrong, vain as the search for a man who should be neither a living man nor a dead man - such as a policy of "don't care" on a question about which all true men do care - such as Union appeals beseeching true Union men to yield to Disunionists, reversing the divine rule, and calling, not the sinners, but the righteous to repentance - such as invocations to Washington, imploring men to unsay what Washington said, and undo what Washington did.

Neither let us be slandered from our duty by false accusations against us, nor frightened from it by menaces of destruction to the Government nor of dungeons to ourselves. LET US HAVE FAITH THAT RIGHT MAKES MIGHT, AND IN THAT FAITH, LET US, TO THE END, DARE TO DO OUR DUTY AS WE UNDERSTAND IT.

What did he mean with saying this? What was his position on slavery? i think he was still kinad politically indifferent, just trying to preserve union.  (i'm doing a dbq on how Lincoln's views of slavery evolved.) not sure if i'm right in my opinon of it though, not sure, its a bit confusing to me, very wordy.  

THANK YOU SO MUCH

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

He wasn't politically indifferent. But his main concern, his main goal was ALWAYS to preserve the Union. He knew that if he went too fast in this particular area, he would rupture the whole damn thing. It's like when you were a kid, you WANTED something from your parents. But even at that age, you had figured out that there were RIGHT times to ask them for something and WRONG times. And it had nothing to do with what you were asking for. 

If Lincoln had cracked out of turn, he would have been basically saying SCREW States rights! That would have alienated the border states as well. Even though he personally hated it. So he waited until he knew it would work. (the emancipation proclamation)

Lincoln was unique in American history. He HAD to hold this country together. The threat to the country was greater then, than in World War 1, World War 2, the cold war, the cuban missile crisis, Vietnam, all the other military and social fiascoes that came later. 

You can count the times PRESIDENT Lincoln was ever happy on the fingers of your left hand.

george.gauthierdc · Answer

He was anything but politically indifferent and in the passage denounces those who 'don't care' about the issue. He feels passionately that slavery is wrong. That leads him to oppose its extension to the hitherto free territories and the Free States, as the Dred Scott decision provided. For the sake of the union he is willing to tolerate a wrong for the time being in the states where it currently existed, but would go no farther than that. 
Yes he put union above slavery but the Southerners were putting slavery over union.

what did lincoln mean in last part of cooper union adress?

2 Answers