Summary Of Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address

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President Abraham Lincoln delivered his Second Inaugural Address on March 4, 1865. During this time there were a lot of sensitive issues that the president would have to confront. Lincoln wanted to remain neutral at this time so he wouldn’t upset the people who might vote for him. So instead of directly pointing out his personal views and beliefs he relied heavily on the bible pointing out that “both read the same bible and pray to the same God.” He quotes, “The Almighty has His own purposes. ‘Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!’” By stating this he is trying to prove that we are all the same. As one country we are untied. After he shows that the war is affecting the …show more content…

One big way his speech stood out is he approached his speech from a different view point. Lincoln expressed “devoted altogether to saving the Union without war, insurgent agents were in the city seeking to destroy it without war -- seeking to dissolve the Union, and divide effects, by negotiation. Both parties deprecated war; but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive; and the other would accept war rather than let it perish.” Instead of choosing sides he supports and blames both sides. He knows that neither side wanted the war but he blames them for accepting the war and feeding into it. Also Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address was much shorter. He explained, “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. Then a statement, somewhat in detail, of a course to be pursued, seemed fitting and proper.” Since Lincoln had been president in a previous term the people of the United States already knew his hopes for the country and they knew that he hoped to end the war and create peace with both

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