Paper Topic:

Perspective of Abraham Lincoln to Jefferson Davis

Abraham Lincoln

President of the United States of America

Washington , D .C

1863

Jefferson Davis

President of the Confederate States of America

Dear Mr . Davis

It seems that we must respond to each other in a time of great sadness and strife , Mr . Jefferson , as a situation has fallen upon as once fellow Americans and a severance has occurred within our country that now has divided it into two separate countries . A division that has not come from the invisible lines of land from state to state but from

the irreconcilable differences of opinions that seem to divide the northern and southern regions of this once unified country if one must see that this was a nation founded on freedom .freedom for all men . Did we not rise from the tyranny of a monarchy only to enslave those who were helpless to prevent it from being their plight ? Could you justify that only because the black man did not migrate to this new country of his own free choice as have the ancestors of our citizens , then he would not deserve the same rights and freedom as a white man

I have not failed to understand the need of the southern landowner to have enough labor to tend his many acres of crops and the prospect of slaves is far more economic than hired hands but is that truly the case I know that this practice has been in effect since our earliest colonial times and the abundance of the crops as a source of import and also to our industrial strength has aided in this becoming an established accepted way of life but the fact remains that the United States is still a country founded on individual freedom for the pursuit of happiness , free speech and without fear of religious persecution Slavery is a denial of all of these things . Slaves can not be free as owned chattel . Slaves cannot be happy as having no ability to pursue that happiness except for perusal of the contentment of their owners and nothing else . Also , have not their owners ' choice of religion become their religion , whether or not , it was their individual choice ? These listings are the very reason of why slavery is everything wrong that this country should stand for . Slavery is the exact opposite of what the Declaration of Independence says . Slavery is a pronounced misery that would put all that our forefathers died for to be in vain

I must emphasize , Mr . Davis , that as we face into the third year of this unwanted war , it is that we have classified this as a state in which what the government wants above the opinions and desires of the very people that it must answer to , the American citizens . As their president , I must uphold what they have expressed . They do not want slavery to exist in this country . It would also seem that you , sir , as the head of the seceded states and having declared yourself a separate...

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