"Lincoln, who had always craved recognition, had found his life's purpose. The "higher object of this contest," he wrote, "may not be completely attained within the term of my natural life. But...I am proud...to contribute an humble mite to that glorious consummation, which my own poor eyes may not last to see." There was no mistaking that the "consummation" Lincoln envisioned was the eventual eradication of slavery, not simply a halt to its expansion.51"