Why did Lincoln say, "I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the states where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so"?
Lincoln said this famous line because his number one priority in the years leading up to and during the Civil War was to keep the Union together. Although he disliked slavery, he was not willing to end it if it meant ending the union.
