A lot of slave owners were convinced that slavery was a blessing to wild Africans. I gave them a path to know Christ! They were even sometimes taught to read, but anything outside the Bible or maybe work related was usually forbidden!
Other than the over reaching central government, there’s nothing I would directly blame Lincoln for. Even government overreach is mainly due to the feds using state tax money to buy state’s enforcement. Remember the nationwide 55 mph speed limit?
Quite a few western states “enforced” it with a small fine for “Wasting Energy”!
Most of our problems arise from expansion of FDR (democratic) policies and more directly to other idiotic legislation since LBJ.
Somebody posted the most destructive Americans list earlier. I give LBJ tiptop ranking.
Reon
Nah, Lincoln is the founding father of our centralized despotic state. He forever changed relationship between the states and the federal government and forever changed the balance of power. Everything that has happened since has been the logical and inevitable result. And what’s more, it was foreseeable then.
I can only say that while I have considered the preservation of the constitutional power of the General Government to be the foundation of our peace and safety at home and abroad, I yet believe that the maintenance of the rights and authority reserved to the States and to the people, not only essential to the adjustment and balance of the general system, but the safeguard of the continuance of a free government. I consider it as the chief source of stability to our political system, whereas the consolidation of the States into one vast republic, sure to be aggressive abroad and despotic at home, will be the certain precursor of that ruin which has overwhelmed all those that have preceded it
Robert E. Lee in his letter to Lord Acton - 15 December, 1866
