Text Analysis: Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address

Abraham Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address

March 4, 1865

Jessica Lucas

This speech was a complete turnaround from the previous speech for years earlier.  Abraham Lincoln seemed very depressed and frustrated over the years of war that had wreaked our nation.  At this time Lincoln did not even feel that it was necessary to address the nation due to the fact that everyone in the country knew and understood what was taking place at the time.  Lincoln discussed why it was necessary to have the previous speech and how its main focus was to try and prevent war but at this time the war was dragging on.  I think that Lincoln thought that the time for talking was over.  Everyone seemed to keep discussing the same things over and over again without reaching an agreement and he felt that it was unnecessary to keep saying the same things that he had on previous occasions. However, he did bring about a new argument that he had completely changed his thinking on and that was slavery.  Lincoln talked about the slavery issue and how a large portion of the population was vested in the outcome of this war and while some people might have wanted to just give in and leave the southern states to their own devices there were still reasons that the war needed to be fought.  Lincoln went back to try and get the northerners to realize that while slavery was a huge part of the reason for the war it was more prudent for the south then for the north.  He wanted to remind people that it was the south who really wanted to perpetuate slavery and created the war when the north just wanted to limit slavery in territories and this had nothing to do with the states that had slavery already established. 

Lincoln then seemed to try and use God to get people to accept his arguments concerning the war.  He made it clear that the south was trying to get gods assistance through slavery but that it was not forthcoming.  He also seemed to state that it was the use of slavery that made God want to punish the North and the South but that slavery was only in the south and it was the southern states fault that God sought to punish our republic.  He also warned people about judging the southern states because they too could receive punishment.  Lincoln then talked about hoping God had plans to end the war quickly but that they would keep fighting because “if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said "the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether."  He wanted people to remain steadfast and not waver in their support of the war and what needed to be done once the war was over.

1. Lincoln was ultimately arguing that while it was the South’s fault that the war was so long and costly they needed to keep striving forward to make sure that in the future God would seek to bless them and out nation when it was the right time.  I really liked how Lincoln used the existence of slavery to bring God in the subject and try to rally northerners behind him once again.

2.  Lincoln spoke about slavery being only in the south and that it was a huge issue for the southern states and the slaves that lived there.  However, he wanted northerners to realize that the south made the war necessary by trying to dictate where else slavery would go.  Lincoln tried to remain calm and informed people that while the government was just trying to limit slavery in the territories the south kept seeking to expand it.  Lincoln wanted everyone to know that they did not want the southern states to change and had no intention of disrupting slavery that already existed in certain places but the south had to keep pushing.  He appealed to logos in this way because he wanted everyone to understand that the war as a step by step issue and the south always seemed determined to reach that point.  When Lincoln began bringing God into the issue and made it clear that God might not agree with slavery and that was pretty much why the war was dragging on he appealed to pathos.  God is always an extremely emotional subject and when you use that subject to get people behind you it generally works.  Lincoln made it clear that he felt that the south had pushed God into making this war so long and created the amount of casualties but felt that they needed to continue on until the south relented.  God did not want slavery and that was why they had to continue.   Lincoln wanted people to believe that he was the one who was in charge but he needed the support of the people.  God needed him to be there and since he was in charge the people needed to accept that it was his will that this war be continued and with this leader. 

3.  This document had a huge historical significance because I believe that it kept the Union Army and the north going during some generally brutal times.  It kept them with their eyes on the prize and probably really rejuvenated a people that was very down and depressed about the toll of this war.  Getting people to believe that on side had caused the way might have encouraged the northerners to continue on and keep on believing in their cause. It also might have really gotten the south to realize that the north would not quit.  That the north had a leader that would continue with their cause no matter how long it took.  This thinking could really encourage on side while making the other side really think about what was going on and how long it would take to end the war.   

4.  I did not really believe that his argument was convincing because you go with one way of thinking and speaking before the war and completely changing the thoughts after the war had drug on for a while.  I felt that in this speech Lincoln was very manipulative and just sought ways to blame the south for the war, and to try and make people believe that God was on their side and they needed to continue on no matter how long it took.  This seemed like a recruitment speech, he had no ideas to try and fix things with the southern states and did not seem exited about his prospects at all.  In fact the seemed very downtrodden and depressed just like most of the nation.  Having a leader give a speech like that is not very inspiring and it is not convincing at all.  Inaugural addresses usually look upon the new term with a sense of hope and adventure and that was not the case with this speech.