A friend of mine researched and wrote a paper on your life and career that tarnished his opinion of you. I would like to give you the opportunity to be heard. ‘All that he wrote on was truth. However, not all truths are black and white. I have high esteem for another’s opinion when merited. Yes, I owned slaves on paper, an inheritance of responsibility. To forcefully release them would have been a cruelty for my home was their home. I kept no man, woman or child against their will. To hear otherwise is slanderous.’
Why did you switch parties? ‘Fear. To go against the grain is not an easy pursuit. I knew that my chosen path once taken would bring hardship upon my family.’
How did you know this? ‘My wife, Mary Todd. She is a seer.’
So you initially fought to preserve slavery out of fear? ‘As plain an answer, yes.’
Did the bring shame upon you? ‘There is no place for shame to reside in if a man does what he must to survive. Did I have misgivings, yes. These misgivings were an unwanted guiding force, pushing, pushing and pushing for my destiny to be filled.’
Then you switched parties, to abolish slavery? ‘Yes, I began the slow march to my death. Nay’er a more worthy cause.’
Thank you for your sacrifice.
Channeled message from Abraham Lincoln.