Abraham Lincoln’s second inaugural address was put in the president’s awareness of the Union citizens’ developing concern about the grave causes and effects of the then warring Civil conflict. In order to push Union citizens to remain influenced towards this repair of the Union by forgiving Confederate insurgents and seeing pass the necessary war, Lincoln changes between inclusive pronouns to dual language to capture battles and shared beliefs among Americans, as well as intense statements to God’s high powers to portray the war as revenge for the sins of slavery.…
IN COMPLIANCE with a custom as old as the Government itself, I appear before you to address you briefly and to take in your presence the oath prescribed by the Constitution of the United States to be taken by the President "before he enters on the execution of this office." I do not consider it necessary at present for me to -Timeliness discuss those matters of administration about which there is no special anxiety or excitement. Apprehension seems to exist among the people of -Lincoln Openly Addresses prominent issues of the Southern States that by the accession of a the time. Republican Administration their property and their peace and personal security are to be endangered. There has never been any reasonable cause for such apprehension. Indeed, the most ample evidence to the contrary has all the while existed and been open to their inspection. It is found in nearly all the published speeches of him who now addresses you. I do but quote from one of those speeches when I declare that…
Lincoln’s four speeches seem to share the same theme for the most part, aside from one. The speeches performed in October 1854, July 1858 and October 1858 all share the same message, expressing the main points being that all men are created equal, all men deserve a voice in the government, slaves and colored people are entitled to inalienable rights mentioned in the constitution, and that enslaving a human being in an infringement of the constitution. These are the values that we remember Lincoln for and it seems that these were his main principles that he represented for his entire political career. Despite this, his speech in September 1858 changes his points and themes entirely. He goes on to say that colored people are simply inferior to…
Abraham Lincoln's speech addresses the issues of slavery and how the civil war could have been avoided. Lincoln appeals to the American people's sense of jingoism and references the bible to create a common ground for the people to relate with.…
In President Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Speech, he makes use of ethos, logos, and details. President Lincoln’s second appearance in front of the American people demonstrates ethos.The fact that this is his second time giving this time of speech makes the American people believe what he is going say. Lincoln’s credibility lies in this quote: “At this second appearing to take the oath of the Presidential Office there is less occasion for an extended address than there was at the first.” This quote erases the idea that the following speech will be filled with empty promises and nonsense. Because Lincoln has done it before, he knows that he should spend this short amount of time discussing real issues with the American people and so they will actually…
He does not want to begin his speech using negative words or to openly and radically condemn the South. He uses the term “great contest” instead of war. The word war has many negative connotations that drum up fear, anger, and apprehension. Lincoln in no way wants to foster these feelings in his audience. His argument is logical, so he wants his audience thinking as logically as possible. A “contest” has relatively neutral connotations, so he is not fueling the already strained emotions of the crowd. While speaking of the past and present Lincoln again uses milder terms to not incite more anger in his…
“Every drop of blood spilt with the lash, shall be paid by another drawn with the sword” (Lincoln 4). One month before the end of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln stood and delivered a very unique Inaugural Address, not only because it was his second, but because it was structured very different from others. Lincolns first term had followed the war closely, and it was a great feat to be reelected for a second term. Lincoln’s reelection showed the faith of the people in Lincoln’s ability to lead, and to bring the nation back under one banner. Just as at Gettysburg, Lincoln’s speech was concise, and only contained what he felt necessary to address, which is where the uniqueness of his speech is seen. No other president, when giving an inaugural address, had thought to talk on the state of the union, instead feeling content with just a smile and a quick thankyou speech to their voters. One month after this speech, Robert E. Lee would surrender at Appomattox, and only forty days after the speech, Lincoln would be shot at point blank range by John Wilkes Booth, whom had been within eyesight of Lincoln when he gave this address, starting one of the largest man hunts of the time.…
As president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, in his second inauguration speech, surprises his audience by not giving a long, protracted harangue on politics and states’ rights, instead, he gives a concise lecture on the evilness of slavery and not charging the south with the entire cause of the war. And through juxtaposition, biblical allusion, and classical appeals, Lincoln articulates his purposes: to urge public amnesty for the south and to reunite the Unites States under one flag.…
In Abraham Lincoln’s speech “The Gettysburg Address”, he explains why the great civil war was fought and keeps on urging the public to continue fighting. His argument developed through rhetorical devices of juxtaposition, repetition, and diction. His purpose in speaking is to encourage the American population to go on battle in order to unite the nation and keep their pride. His primary audience is the American public, especially those with the capability to fight.…
First of all, Lincoln exercises the literary device, antithesis, to deliver an emotional appeal. For example, he states "... as a final resting place for those who here gave their live so that a nation might live." As for, the words "gave their lives", meaning dead, and "might live", meaning still alive, contradict each other stating that in order for something to have survive, something had to die. In this particular address, in order for America, the nation, to be still standing is due to the men who died in the battlefield. That is to say, this example of antithesis reminds the people that there was blood and sacrifices in order for the nation to have survived.…
My view of Lincoln has always been that of a strong and wise statesman. His arguments have been fair and logical and they reflect his intellectual nature. Scholar David Lightner writes about Lincoln’s intellectual attributes his work, ‘Abraham Lincoln and Equality, which is mentioned in the Journal of the Historic Society of Illinois. Lightner mentions in his journal that Lincoln was “far more enlightened that commonly supposed” [9]. This supports my claim of Lincoln’s rather logical take on issues of his time.…
The purpose of Lincoln’s speech was, not only to dedicate a plot of land to the fallen soldiers, but also to inspire his people to continue the fight.…
Abraham Lincoln's "Second Inaugural Address" speech he explains how both the North and the South are praying for victory. However, he assures the North they will win, because God wants to remove the offense of slavery in America. He explains how God "give both North and South this terrible war" for allowing "slavery". He believes that the war my last "until every drop of blood drawn with the lash" be paid back from all the slavery that went on in America. Abraham Lincoln concludes that God's will in this war is to establish the punishment for all the "offenses" that the South and North did against him and all the people mistreated during slavery.…
For instance, Lincoln once said that “[he] [was] naturally anti-slavery,” and that “[if] slavery [was] not wrong, nothing [was] wrong.” This statement shows that Lincoln believed in what he fought for, and that it was not only for political and economical reasons. Indeed, in this statement, Lincoln clearly said that slavery is so wrong, that if it is not wrong, therefore, nothing is wrong, so, for example, if slavery is not wrong, torturing and killing somebody else should also be seen as not wrong.…
The Gettysburg Address was the most famous speech given by President Lincoln. It was given after the Civil War almost as a way to restore the nation and honor the fallen soldiers. In the speech Abraham starts off by saying “ Four score and seven years ago” which is significant because that was when the Declaration of Independence was signed and when the colonies gained their freedom from Great Britain. He then goes on to say that the founding fathers built the nation on liberty and equality for all men, but years later they are fighting to see if it's…