Abolitionist?
In the legislature he opposed slavery, but was not an active abolitionist. In 1837 he delcared that slavery was "founded on both injustice and bad policy" and on the other that "the promulgation of abolition of abolitionist doctrines tends rather to increase than to abate its evils."
Congressman 1847-49:
Lincoln was the only Whig from Illinois. He proposed a bill for the gradual and compensated emancipation of slaves in the District of Columbia. Because only free white men could vote, it was never taken seriously by the abolitionists.