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

[David Lockmiller]

In my opinion, President Abraham Lincoln was an abolitionist, on a personal moral level, long before he was President of the United States.

It was probably a Herndon book where I read about Lincoln's first direct major encounter with slavery. It was his reaction to seeing several black slaves chained together while being transported on board a river boat. And, I do not know, whether it was before or after this event, that Lincoln was almost killed by slaves attacking his flatboat at night after it was tied up along a Mississippi River plantation.

I forget the details of the story of young black man from Springfield who went to New Orleans (I believe) without the proper documentation that he was a free black person. He was arrested. And, if his fine was not paid, he would be sold into slavery. I believe that Lincoln went personally to the Louisiana Governor to plead the case, but to no avail. Lincoln then went to the Illinois Governor whose response was to the effect that there was nothing he could do as Governor. I believe that Lincoln and Herndon paid the young black boy's fine and he returned to Springfield.

So, in a personal sense, I believe it is appropriate to argue that Lincoln was an abolitionist.

But as President, Lincoln honored his Oath of Office and held fast to the belief and conviction that the highest authority of law in the United States was the Constitution.