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Did Lincoln believe the States had a right to leave?
How did Lincoln really feel about states leaving the Union? He said they had the right to leave and then invaded the South when they did. Wasn't that just a little hypocritical?
he said:
Any people anywhere, being inclined and having the power, have the right to rise up and shake off the existing government and to form one that suits them better. Nor is this right confined to cases in which the people of an existing government may choose to exercise it. Any portion of such people that can, may make their own of such territory as they inhabit. More than this, a majority of any portion of such people may revolutionize, putting down a minority intermingling with or near them who oppose their movement.
3 Answers
- staisilLv 710 years agoFavorite Answer
The secessionists claimed that according to the Constitution every state had the right to leave the Union. Lincoln claimed that they did not have that right. He opposed secession for these reasons:
1. Physically the states cannot separate.
2. Secession is unlawful.
3. A government that allows secession will disintegrate into anarchy.
4. That Americans are not enemies, but friends.
5. Secession would destroy the world's only existing democracy, and prove for all time, to future Americans and to the world, that a government of the people cannot survive.
Source(s): http://www.nps.gov/liho/historyculture/secession.h... http://www.nps.gov/liho/historyculture/secunlawful... http://www.nps.gov/liho/historyculture/secanarchy.... http://www.nps.gov/liho/historyculture/secfriends.... http://www.nps.gov/liho/historyculture/secdemocrar... - joel_vannattaLv 610 years ago
Whatever Lincolns veiews were on soveregnty, Lincoln realized that the union had to be saved.If the south seceeded then the idea of scession would be legitamised. Bouth the USA and the new CSA would have to deal with states seceeding for any reason imaginable. In two generations, what had been one union would be merely a mass of small independant countries that would be easy prey for any foreign power seeking new territory to conquer.
- GridLv 710 years ago
Lincoln's main priority was to preserve the union. I have not seen anywhere where he said that it is justified to leave the union. You may be reading that out of context. Please add your source in additional details and I will edit my response.
