Question

Read the following lines from the passage: I am naturally anti-slavery. If slavery is not wrong nothing is wrong. I cannot remember when I did not so think and feel; and yet I have never understood that the Presidency conferred upon me an unrestricted right to act officially in this judgment and feeling. Which comes closest to capturing Lincoln's true meaning in this passage?

Answer 1

Abraham Lincoln's passage conveys his personal anti-slavery stance but emphasizes his commitment to the Union above all, making actions against slavery contingent on their impact on Union preservation.

Step-by-step explanation:

The passage reflects Abraham Lincoln's belief that while he personally found slavery to be morally wrong, he understood his role as President to mean he couldn't act solely based on his personal feelings. Instead, his priority was to preserve the Union, and his actions towards slavery were shaped by what he believed would help achieve that goal. He expressed a willingness to take whatever action would best serve the Union's preservation, whether it involved freeing slaves or not. Despite his personal anti-slavery stance, he made it clear that his official duty required him to first and foremost consider the impact of his decisions on the Union.

Answer 2

The correct answer here is "and yet I have never understood that the Presidency conferred upon me an unrestricted right to act officially in this judgment and feeling."

Here we see the conflict which would later be expanded in Lincoln's letter. He personally is against slavery and he think that it is wrong. But he is a President not a dictator nor someone who can use that power however he wishes. His first duty is to the nation and the constitution he swore to protect and uphold. So the union of the nation and his duty to preserve it has to come before his personal feelings on slavery.