Lincoln is arguing for an end to the War, and for both the North and the South to accept each other. He wants the nation to be whole agains, even though feelings of resentment will still be there. He also calls for the American people to put this war behind them and for all veterans, North or South, to be treated with respect and for their families to be looked after.
Lincoln’s second address seems, at least to me, to be more emotional then his first even though it’s shorter. By calling for Americans “to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations”, he is begging Americans to not hate the South just because they are the enemy, but to accept them again as their kin and to try and heal the wounds of the soldiers and of their families.
He also cited the Bible and a few versus for a more “logical” argument as was the norm for back then. He argued that God had sent this war to the US as punishment for an offense, which Lincoln says is slavery. Lincoln goes on to say that “until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword”, meaning that the war wouldn’t end until all the pain and suffering of the slaves had been dealt out to soldiers. He also says that the blame for this war does not solely rest on the South, but that the North deserves (at least) part of the blame for not being willing to let the Union dissolve, but instead push for war to keep it together.
This speech portrays Lincoln as a man who is weary of war and is ready for the nation to be whole again. He just wants for everyone to “play nice” and to try and put this war behind them. This document represents the point of view of the Union president during the only Civil War that America has ever known, which by itself makes it important. The Civil War was a terrible time in our history, where Americans killed Americans over political views.
I did find his argument convincing. I really appreciated that Lincoln called for the American people to accept the Southerns into their fold again, and he said that the South was not the only one to blame for the Civil War. I think that by more evenly distributing the blame to both the North and the South he was trying to quash feelings of resentment that were going to surface once the war was over. If I had been a Northerner during the Civil War I would have felt throughly chastised for letting it come to war to try and resolve the political and ideological problems in the country and I would have felt more open to forgiving the South.
If I had lived in the South I do not think that this speech would have been enough to make me want to be a part of the Union again, especially because in my mind Lincoln is not my president so he didn’t matter. I would have been hurt that the Union did not allow my state to leave and I don’t think something as unimportant as an inaugural address by some guy who is not my president would be able to ease the pain and anger I would have at the Union. However it might make me a little more willing to enter negotiations to find an end to the war.
I totally agree with you! And yeah this Inaugural Address was a bit short. Lincoln was very convincing indeed; he used a verse in the Bible as a reference,
ReplyDelete"Woe unto the world because of offenses; for it must needs be that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh."
THEN supported it which gave some support onto this verse,
"If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of those offenses which, in the providence of God, must needs come, but which, having continued through His appointed time, He now wills to remove, and that He gives to both North and South this terrible war as the woe due to those by whom the offense came, shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a living God always ascribe to Him?" Kind of like inferring God has purposely made this war happen due to the way people are treated unfairly.
I reallllllllllly liked how Lincoln supported the African Americans with, "Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes His aid against the other. 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."
It's saying that we're all the same people, we read the same things; some things important in society, such as the Bible. The "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" was true. I don't think slave owners should have worshipped God if they broke these rules God has mentioned in the Bible. The slaves should be the ones with their wish granted from God because they generously put food on the table (for the masters), deal with some horrible treatments (whipping), and they're just trying to fit in! :( Well the slaves got their voices heard :) That's why there's freedom for every race today!
I also agree with Lincoln in this Inagurual Address. Lincoln tried to put an end to the war. He wanted both North and the South to put this behind them even though there were huge resentments in between them both. Lincoln mentions that its not all of the Souths fault, that the North has atleast part of the blame for trying to keep the war going just so that the Union would dissolve. Even though Lincoln tried to make peace between them both he also argued that God had used this war as a punishment for those who put others through suffering.
ReplyDeleteI also liked how lincoln tried to put an end to the war. How he argued that the North and South should have been blamed equally because they both did wrong. As he mentioned for peace among all nations, "...to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations". If i were living in the south, even though Lincoln was not my president, i would still think that he is trying to do the right thing and would also try to somehow put a stop to this war. If i were livig in the north i would never let it go war, i would somehow try to resolve the problems in the country and i would be willing to forgive the South. I believe that with God all justice will be served. Even though the war was very brutal, the slaves finally received their justice.
You have all taken the words right out of my mouth. :) Lincoln's second inaugural address was focussed on putting an end to the Civil War. Unlike his first address that was trying to prevent the war. He makes it very clear that neither side can point figures because they are both at fault. At this point he just wants the nation to be whole again and to accept eachother for who they are. He even goes as far as saying that the war was sent from God because they have enslaved people. Although he did not want the war he did not look down on the people to fought in it. He still wanted them to be treated with respect and for their families to be looked after. His wish was to just put everything that had happened behind them and to move on.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, if I was put in the South's shoes I would not listen to this at all. Clearly the first inaugural address did not work, so what would make this any different? At this point I would have lost all of my respect for him and would not have even bothered listening to him. Also from the point of view from the North, I would be slightly confused as to why we were partially to blame. We have always been taught to fight for what we believe in, and when our president even believes in it we would do whatever it takes to make it happen. Although I think this way, apparently they did not because the war finally ended.
I don't believe Lincoln was placing any blame on either side. Lincoln specifically referenced "insergents" as the party responsible for war because of a "powerful interest". Lincoln was clear that both sides deprecated (denounced) war. Lincoln, in this more humble speech, is addressing the Union, reporting what he said he would do in his first Inaugural Speech.
ReplyDeleteI feel Lincoln, now expressing his fundamental beliefs, is experiencing the reality of the Civil War and how it is effecing both sides. Lincoln is clear that come Hell of High Water, he would stand behind the Union's decision to fight to protect and cherish our unique country. I do not feel Lincoln was clear if the South would be a part of the Union after the war was over. I feel Lincoln was clear that he wanted to has a speedy outcome, what ever that may have been, to appear so the Union could move forward and heal from this.
I feel that Lincoln was able to connect with his audience as I would have felt empathy from our President at this horrible time in history. His words would have brought comfort and his beliefs would have brought me hope.
I totally agree with you, there is no doubt about the rhetorical factor of his second inaugural address. I especially like how he cited the Bible in order to fortify his argument since it makes his words even more convincing. And yes, imagine myself as a Southerner, this inaugural would make me feel like I am still an American, not a foreigner to the Northern part of the country. With these two inaugural address, Lincoln had shown himself as a man who always strive to serve his country, and as a president who always do his best for the people.
ReplyDeleteEven though at the time of this inaugural address, victory was nearly archived, Lincoln still took no pride in it. He didn't try to show the world that he lead the Union to victory nor tried to act like a victor. In fact, he shown a little shame, because American Civil War was a time when American kills American, and there is nothing to proud of.
I agree with you. Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address is amazing. I like the way he cited the Bible to make his words more interesting and make people have more trust on him. He always wanted to stop the war, wanted two parts of America to stop fighting and to be a family. He was like a father who was hurt when seeing his own sons fought. Lincoln was a president who always tried to do his best to his people, to his country. And he did a good job, he led the country went through this terrible time.
ReplyDeleteLincolns 2nd Inaugural Address was short and to the point. He probably felt that since it was his second, he didn't have to say as much, since they all knew him already. He tries to convince the South that slavery was not something that should tear apart the country, and used the Bible as means to get his message across. I totally agree with everything you said. Since American society was significantly more religious than it is now, quoting the Bible was definitely seen as something logical and dependable. I feel though that were I southern slave owner, I wouldn't want to stay in the country or believe a word he said, simply because of my stupid desire to own slaves, and the fact that they could be taken away. Were I Southerner, it would seem more logical to just become my own country so the North couldn't have a say on my affairs.
ReplyDeleteHowever, his argument is very emotional and he tries his best to keep the country whole. Of course he ended up doing a great job, but as of then they didn't know that, haha. I agree with Quynh too when said that Lincoln was like a hurt father, watching his sons fight. That analogy perfectly sums up what Lincoln seems to be.
I agree that the purpose of Lincoln’s second inaugural address was to end the war and reunite American people. He stressed the fact that four years ago it was one country and they ALL dreaded war, ALL sought to avert it, ALTOGETHER to saving the Union. Despite the war and separation, people in the North and South still read the same Bible and prayed to the same God. Even both saw right and wrong (slavery) in different ways, Lincoln didn’t judge allowing the Almighty to do this because only “the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous.” It was very wise of Lincoln not to blame any party in the beginning of the war leaving it to the God’s purposes. He even didn’t predict the end of the war; he just demonstrated that he was ready to end it “let us strive on to finish the work we are in”. Lincoln’s emotional speech proves that he was greatly interested in ending the war and uniting the nation, which had wounds and widows both in the North and in the South. His last sentence as a stretching arm offers “a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”
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