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Show LINCOLN'S LINCOLNS ' ' WAR AIM AnI . The recurrence of Abraham Lincoln Lmcoln s sblrthdar sbirthday sbirthday blrthdar birthday ) on February 12 re\ re rev revives reives \ ives mem- mem memones mem-ones mem ones - memIones mem-I mem I ones of oui om our first martyred President Presidentnow , I no\\- no now norevered \ - revered in m the South as well wen as asm asin asin m in the North NorthSo I ISo ISo So rich in human interest mtere"t mteret mtereet " was Lm- Lm Lin- Lin LmcoIn's Lincoin's Lin Lincoln's - ! coln's colns coIn's coIns ' ' life hfe that it presents almost unlimited un- un unI unlimited un unlimited - I limited writermait mat material nal for the writer-ma-i writer ma i writer-ma- writer ma writermaterial writer - ma material - t terial TlaI . of which wluch wide use has been mad madaduring : durmg during the past sixty-odd sixty odd s1\.ty-odd s1.tyodd s1 .ty ty . \ . - years But Butby Butby I Iby by the present generation generatlon it i5 is prob prob- probable probable probable - able that Lincoln's Lincolns Lmcoln's Lmcolns ' paramount aim aimduring aimduring aimduring during the Civil ' War 'Val Val ' is not ! so o v . well wellunderstood wellunderstood en enunderstood understood as it should be Doubtles5 Doubtless Doubtlessthe Doubtlessthe I Ithe the general Imprecsion impression impre : ion is that his hischief hischief hischief chief object ' was , ; as the . , abolition abohhon of ofblavelY ofblaveiy offclaveiy blavelY blaveiy blaveiyWhile While Lincoln was always alwas } against againstslavery againstslavery againstslavery slavery on prmcinie prmcmle prinemle , his original orlginil ; idea ideawas ideawas . "as as was " to abolish abohsh it by paying paymg slave SlaVe- SlaVeowners slaveowners slaveowners - ! owners for their property from thenational the theI thenational thenational I national treasury , thus gradually graduallyemancipatmg graduallyemancipating graduallyemancipating emancipatmg emancipating the n negro gro Such a pro- pro propo propo pro-po pro po - po al < : ' al aI was made by him as early as as1849 1849 when a mem member r of Congress , , and andwas andwas andwas was renewed in 1862 , while the war warv.as warwas warwas v.as vas was . in 111 'ProgressBut progressBut ' progress 'Progress progressBut But his real aim during the " ' war "ar ar 'war was wasthe wasthe wasthe the preservation of the nation as oneunion one oneunion oneunion union , , with the abolishment of slavery slaveryas as a secondary condary consideration This is isbest isbest isbet best $ illustrated by his famous fanious letter to toHorace toHorace toHorace Horace Greel Greelon Greely Greelr r on August 22 , 1862 , inwhich in inWhICh inwhich WhICh he said"Mv said"Mv said said"Mv "Mv Mv " paramount object is to save the theUmon theUnion theUnion Umon Union , and not either to save or de- de destroy destroy de destroy - stroy slavery If I could save theUnion the theUmon theUnion Umon Union without freeing any slave , I'would I I"ould Iwould "ould ould 'would would " ' do it , if I could save it by free- free free freeing - freeing ing andif all aU the slaves , , I 1 would do it ; and if I could do it by freeing some and leaving andleaving others ' " alone , I would also do dothat " . that _ _ _ - |