What Did Lincoln Say About The Problems With The Law Using Metaphors

Springfield, Illinois is where Abraham Lincoln delivered his concerns about America and the choices the country was making as a whole. It was January of 1838 and Lincoln was just twenty eight years old, but he was ready to address the serious issues within our government. Throughout the speech Lincoln expresses his main concern as the fall of the nation. He speaks about how it is unlikely that America would be killed by external forces but that it could eventually destroy itself from within. He warns that there are vicious people in the world who could do such a thing, and refers to mob crimes as one example of many. Lincoln better supports his argument that there needs to be a constitutional republic using literary devices such as metaphors

An example of this would be when Lincoln states “They were the pillars of the temple of liberty” (Lincoln n.pag.). Lincoln is directly comparing the people to pillars of the temple of liberty without using like or as, which is what makes it a metaphor. This metaphor greatly strengthens his argument. Without comparing the people to the pillars, he would have had a harder time trying to explain his main idea. By comparing the two Lincoln is saying that the founding fathers created a solid political system. However, he is also saying that it does not work because not everyone is respecting it. By saying this Lincoln emphasizes the fact that the Founding Fathers have created a good system and that it is the people who are beginning to destroy it. Without this metaphor the way Lincoln felt about the founding fathers would not have been as clear. In addition to this, Lincoln

An example of this would be when he rhetorically questions,“Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant, to step the Ocean, and crush us at a blow?” (Lincoln n.pag.) Asking this question has great effects because of the way he asked it. “This field of glory is harvested, and the crop is already appropriated” (Lincoln n.pag.). By saying this, Lincoln is explaining that it is not hard for mobs to reach their goals because all they need is a plan and their success is already there waiting for them. This is due to the fact that no one would say anything when someone else would break the law. In order to change this, Lincon was saying that as a nation we needed to take action. Imagery adds emphasis to President Lincoln's ideas because of the way his examples portray his