Last Lincoln Blog

President Abraham Lincoln, in his "Second Inaugural Address" (March 4, 1865), attempts to push the blame on the Southern states for starting the Civil War, but also tries to show how both the North and the South share the blame for continuing the war. He does this by taking a very detached stance, but appeals to pathos and religion, explaining the causes of the war (thus holding the South accountable for its actions), talking about how the war could have been prevented, and the irony of a country torn apart but still praying to one God, who is now punishing them all for the war. His purpose is essentially to remind the nation of its stupidity in starting the war, and showing them that God is not helping their war effort but rather, is punishing them for the war, in order to show how the war has reached a point of no return. His tone is rather caustic and terse, yet hopeful because his audience is the nation, and he ultimately wants the nation to achieve peace.


I thought this was an incredibly well-written speech on Lincoln's part. He hits the nail right on the head, and the apparent "shade" he's throwing to the South is spot-on. One of my favorite lines is, "It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God's assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men's faces, but let us judge not, that we be not judged." Lincoln was in an incredibly tough position-it's impossible to imagine what it would be like to have an entire nation divided over an issue that could have been prevented. He knows that his First Inaugural Address didn't seem to stop the impending war, even though he references it. Instead, he invokes religion because it appears to be the one thing the nation seems to agree on. I found the fact that he twists the idea of praying to a God who is now exacting punishment an interesting method, as it is "classic Lincoln." I also liked how his message in the end was short, sweet, and to the point. He knows that long speeches aren't the way to go anymore, because no one listens. As a result, it's best to lay it all out on the field (pun intended), and the country can make its own decisions. Lincoln has his opinions, but this is a speech for the people. They need to decide the course of action that the country will take.