eaning of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence presented a dilemma with regard to the existence of slavery. These documents state that all men are created equal and possess the inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. If these statements were to have any real meaning then they would have to be interpreted literally. A set defined as all men would have to include those Africans held as slaves. This exclusion of the slaves contradicted the presumed universality of the Constitution.
In spite of the contradiction that slavery presented, Lincoln did not refer to himself as an abolitionist at this time and he did not support any active measures to end slavery. His view was that Congress had no constitutional right to interfere with the different states policies regarding slavery. Furthermore, he confessed that he found the problem insoluble, he had no idea how such an established, entrenched institution could be abolished. Lincoln shared the commonly held belief that slavery would eventually die
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