HILL, John (1839-1898). Lincoln's Abolitionism A Searching Analysis. St. Louis: Missouri Republican Print, [1860]. 

8vo. Bound with single pin; uncut; foxing to text; large stain at lower corner of all sheets; smaller dampstain in upper gutter of all sheets; in chemise.

FIRST EDITION of this vicious political attack by Lincoln's opponents, falsely portraying him as a radical abolitionist. Secessionists branded Lincoln as a "Black Republican" and a disciple of John Brown, painting him as a bloodthirsty abolitionist fanatic intent on ending slavery, enforcing racial equality, and even forcing Black husbands on white Southern women. Despite these accusations, Lincoln was not an abolitionist and even considered abolitionism a greater danger to the republic than slavery itself. His stance and political position on slavery shifted significantly during the Civil War. The turning point came in 1862 when Lincoln began to see emancipation as a military necessity. On 22 September 1862, he issued the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which declared that enslaved people in rebellious states would be freed on 1 January 1863. This marked a clear shift from his earlier focus on preserving the Union without explicitly addressing slavery. Lincoln's evolving stance culminated in his support for the Thirteenth Amendment in 1864, which abolished slavery entirely. RARE: Only one copy has been sold at auction in the past century. Monaghan 66; Sabin 41209.

Provenance:

Louise Taper, Beverly Hills, California

Property from the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Foundation