Abraham Lincoln wanted a unified country

Abraham Lincoln: Moral, Just, and Practical Today in the United States one of the most controversial issues is race relations. Mainstream America would like to exist in an environment of integration and race independent societal construct. However, one cannot negate the existence of racially motivated problems. Slavery, which is a primary component of the development of what we call modern American culture and its abolition could be considered the moment where race relations started to …

…good of the country, not the slaves. He used the moral stance to gain international support, and this combined moral/practical approach is what lead to the victory of the industrial North. Although the union which was created was now indestructible bitterness was bound to remain high for many years, and it is the remnants of this bitterness which set the stage for affirmative action requirements in the 60's and the strained race relations today.