mies. McClellan remained supreme commander. Lincoln tried General Henry W. Halleck at the top military position. He was a failure. Halleck gave good advice but was a flake when it came to being decisive in military action. Initially, Lincoln stated that he would leave slavery alone where it existed. However, abolitionists were urging Lincoln to “teach rebels and traitors that the price they are to pay for the attempt to abolish this country must be the abolition of slavery.” On the other hand, there were also Northerners who supported the Union but not emancipation. Lincoln worried about the support of these states and the loyal slave states: Kentucky, Missouri, Maryland, and Delaware. Lincoln wanted to start emancipation in the loyal states and sweep the rebel states with it as they were conquered, giving money to slave owners as their slaves were freed. He suggested this plan to the loyal slave states’ congressmen. However, they didn’t like it. “Emancipation in the cotton states is simply an absurdity,” said a Kentucky congressman. So, Lincoln changed his plan. He realized that slavery was crucial to the South’s success in the war. If he could get rid of slavery the south would be crippled and would lose any support from Britain. Britain was willing to help the south because they supplied cotton to them. Without slaves the South could not produce nearly as much cotton. There was too much antislavery sentiment in Britain for them to support a country’s fight for the preservation of slaves. Besides, the Union also needed troops and slav...
