Oath of Office as President of the United States: Lincoln v. Trump

[RJNorton]

IMO, in the years before his presidency, Lincoln was never a "public" abolitionist. He really did not want to be associated with the abolitionists. He was astute politically and thought being part of the abolitionist movement would adversely effect his electability. I have read various estimates of the percentage of the population who were abolitionists, and most estimates are in the range of 5% to 10%, with some as low as 2%. IMO, if Lincoln had come out as an abolitionist, Seward would have been nominated for the presidency in 1860.

So, for me, the question is, "Was Lincoln a "private" abolitionist before his presidency? Looking at many of his quotes it's certainly possible to think so, but I really cannot say for 100% certain. At least some books say Lincoln became an abolitionist only during his presidency (in other words, a change from his thoughts from the 1840s and 1850s), but whether what was in his heart all along really changed I do not know.