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Why did Giuseppe Garibaldi decline Abraham Lincoln’s offer to lead Union troops?

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Portrait of Giuseppe Garibaldi wearing a beret and cloak, with a full beard and mustache, looking toward the camera. — Giuseppe Garibaldi Giuseppe Garibaldi, c. 1860–82.

In 1861, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln invited Giuseppe Garibaldi to serve as a commander for the Union during the American Civil War. Garibaldi declined this offer for two primary reasons:

Slavery: He felt that Lincoln’s administration had not issued a sufficiently strong condemnation of slavery. As a revolutionary committed to human liberty, Garibaldi found the moral ambiguity regarding the institution of slavery to be a significant barrier to his participation.1
Command Authority: Garibaldi would only accept the position if he were granted supreme command of the Federal troops, a condition that Lincoln was unwilling to meet.1

Garibaldi’s refusal reflected his stature as an independent military leader who, having recently led the Expedition of the Thousand to unify Italy, maintained high standards for the political and military causes he chose to support.12