Letter to Williamson Durley (1845)

Political Context:

This is one of the first times that Lincoln writes about his views on slavery. He is writing to a member of the Liberty Party. The Liberty Party was an abolitionist party that wanted to see the elimination of slavery. In the election of 1844 the Whig candidate, Henry Clay, lost the state of NY. Lincoln felt that the Liberty Party took votes that would have normally gone to the Whig party. The Liberty Party did not support Henry Clay because he was a slave owner. The loss of New York greatly contributed to Henry Clay losing the presidential election to James K. Polk. Lincoln connected this loss to the annexation of Texas and the spread of slavery. He was asking his friend if perhaps it would have been better to vote for Clay instead of their own abolitionist candidate and not seen the spread of slavery into Texas. The question to consider is whether people should vote their conscience, or vote strategically.

What Historians Say:

These were not issues to which he had hitherto given much thought. He had little firsthand knowledge of slavery before he went to Washington . . . Yet he was, he said many times, ‘naturally anti-slavery,’ as his father had been . . . But he did not support any active measures to end slavery because, as the protest said, ‘the Congress of the United States has no power, under the constitution, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the different States.’ The extension of slavery was another matter. Like many of his contemporaries, Lincoln viewed slavery as an institution that would die out if it was confined to the areas where it already existed.

-David Herbert Donald, Lincoln

Vocabulary:

Abolitionist

Union

Whigs

Henry Clay

Annexed

Deprecated

Abolitionists believed that slavery was wrong and evil. They felt it should be eliminated as soon as possible, whether by political action, moral persuasion, or violence.

An alliance. Two groups working together for a common goal.

Political party that Abraham Lincoln belonged to in 1845. The Whig party believed in the supremacy of the Congress over the Executive Branch. The party also believed in moving the nation towards manufacturing and business and away from an agrarian or agricultural economy.

Henry Clay was the senator from Kentucky who helped to craft many of the compromises around slavery and its expansion or control in the mid 1800's. Henry Clay was a slave owner, but he also believed in the gradual abolition of slavery over time.

To add territory. Texas was being added to the country as a slave state.

To be in disapproval of.

Excerpt:

Springfield, October 3. 1845

Friend Durley:

When I saw you at home, it was agreed that I should write to you and your brother Madison. Until I then saw you, I was not aware of your being what is generally called an abolitionist, or, as you call yourself, a Liberty-man; though I well knew there were many such in your county. I was glad to hear you say that you intend to attempt to bring about, at the next election in Putnam, a union of the whigs proper, and such of the liberty men, as are whigs in principle on all questions save only that of slavery. So far as I can perceive, by such union, neither party need yield any thing, on the point in difference between them.

If the whig abolitionists of New York had voted with us last fall, Mr. Clay would now be president, whig principles in the ascendent, and Texas not annexed; whereas by the division, all that either had at stake in the contest, was lost. And, indeed, it was extremely probable, beforehand, that such would be the result. As I always understood, the Liberty-men deprecated the annexation of Texas extremely; and, this being so, why they should refuse to so cast their votes as to prevent it, even to me, seemed wonderful. What was their process of reasoning, I can only judge from what a single one of them told me. It was this: “We are not to do evil that good may come.” This general, proposition is doubtless correct; but did it apply?

If by your votes you could have prevented the extention, &c. of slavery, would it not have been good and not evil so to have used your votes, even though it involved the casting of them for a slaveholder? By the fruit the tree is to be known. An evil tree can not bring forth good fruit. If the fruit of electing Mr. Clay would have been to prevent the extension of slavery, could the act of electing have been evil?

...

Yours with respect

A. LINCOLN

Audio (0:00 - 2:31)

Reading Analysis Support Video:

Source Information and Complete Transcript

Questions: Answer each question with complete thought and using textual evidence.

As of writing this letter, was Abraham Lincoln an abolitionist?
What candidate did Lincoln support in the election of 1844?
What does Lincoln view as the consequence for electing Polk instead of Clay?
How does Lincoln explain how voting for a slaveowner (Clay) would be a good decision for abolitionists?
What is Lincoln's opinion about slavery in this letter? How do you know?

Thesis Focus:

In this speech is Lincoln reacting to change in slavery? Is it a positive or negative change in Lincoln's opinion? Why?
Is the strength and intensity of Lincoln's reaction in proportion to the changes in slave policy?
How does this reaction compare to his previous thoughts on the topic?

Required Documents

Sources

David Herbert Donald, Lincoln (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1995), pp. 133-134

Matthew Pinsker, ed. , "Letter to Williamson Durley (1845),” Lincoln’s Writings: The Multi-Media Edition, http://housedivided.dickinson.edu/sites/lincoln/letter-to-williamson-durley-october-3-1845/ (accessed July 30, 2016).