Was there any inconsistencies between Lincoln's views of slavery and his policies on slavery?

Answer 1

It depends whether his views changed. His policies certainly did.

At the start of the war, Lincoln was fairly typical of Northern opinion - willing to tolerate slavery in its traditional heartlands, but against any new slave empire spreading out to the West.

At the beginning of the second year, Robert E. Lee won a string of victories against the North, as noticed by Britain, who were quite pro-Confederate.

To keep Britain from aiding the South, Lincoln wanted to turn the war into a moral crusade against slavery. But he had to wait till there'd been a Northern victory, or it would look like a desperate measure.

So through the summer of 1862, he had to re-affirm the original war-aims in his speeches, while actually wanting to change them.

All of this was tactical. What he privately felt about slavery is less

well-established.