Extra Credit Questions

[RJNorton]

Was it at a certain low point in the war?

[AussieMick]

No, Roger (sorry for delay ... I didnt page down to see your post)

[AussieMick]

It was years before the Civil War.

[AussieMick]

He was explaining a point of view to a very good friend.

[STS Lincolnite]

I remember Lincoln saying something about emigrating to Russia. He says something (I can't recall the exact quote) about emigrating to Russia because at least their despotism was pure and without hypocrisy. I don't remember who he said it to, when he said it, or what the context was.

[Anita]

Thanks for posting this question Michael. It was in a letter he wrote to Joshua Speed in 1855.

"I am not a Know-Nothing. That is certain. How could I be? How can any one who abhors the oppression of negroes, be in favor or degrading classes of white people? Our progress in degeneracy appears to me to be pretty rapid. As a nation, we began by declaring that "all men are created equal." We now practically read it "all men are created equal, except negroes" When the Know-Nothings get control, it will read "all men are created equal, except negroes, and foreigners, and Catholics." When it comes to this I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretence of loving liberty -- to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure, and without the base alloy of hypocracy [sic]."