In 1980, Burton Blatt attended an International Conference in New York City and gave a keynote address.
In that keynote, he said:
"I have written too many books, given too many speeches and seen too much to be able to lay out all the evidence I have to refute these arguments. Even if I could, I do not think it necessary. Why did Lincoln free the slaves?
Did Lincoln have evidence that the slaves benefited more from living in the community? Did Lincoln have evidence that the community was now ready to accept the slaves as free men and women? Did Lincoln have evidence that the slaves develop more and better as free people? Did he seek the advice of the Commissioner of Education, or the Norman Vincent Peale of the day, telling them that they would be happier in the community? Did he get advice from the leading economists of the day, saying that by freeing the slaves the Gross National Product would rise, and we would get over our inflation or our depression, or any other financial hardship?
No, of course, he did not do any of those things. Lincoln freed the slaves because he became convinced that all people in this country, who neither break the law nor are dangerous to society, deserve to be free.
…This is a moral question we are struggling with, and not one amenable to scientific resolution."