Question

What does Lincoln mean by "By general law, life and limb must be protected; yet often a limb must be amputated to save a life, but a life is never wisely given to save a limb. I felt that measures, otherwise unconstitutional, might become lawful by becoming indispensable to the preservation of the Constitution through the preservation of the nation. Right or wrong, I assumed this ground, and now avow it. I could not feel that to the best of my ability I had even tried to preserve the Constitution, if, to save slavery, or any minor matter, I should permit the wreck of government, country"?

Answer 1

Lincoln means that the United States is unconstitutional if slavery is not abolished. He means to say that preserving the Constitution is abolishing slavery and that this would only bring progress to the United States. Keeping slavery would only wreck the United States.