If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of those offenses which, in the providence of God, must needs come, but which, having continued through His appointed time, He now wills to remove, and that He gives to both North and South this terrible war as the woe due to those by whom the offense came, shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a living God always ascribe to Him?
What is Lincoln saying in this passage?
That God allowed slavery to exist in America as a punishment for the nation's sins.
That the Civil War was a punishment from God for allowing slavery to exist.
That God is a just and righteous God who will ultimately remove slavery from the nation.
That it is impossible to know God's intentions for allowing slavery to exist in America.
1 answer
In this passage, Lincoln is suggesting that if one assumes that American slavery is a divine offense that was allowed to occur for a certain period, then the Civil War can be seen as a punishment from God due to the existence of that offense. Therefore, the best interpretation of what Lincoln is saying is:
That the Civil War was a punishment from God for allowing slavery to exist.
