In his address Lincoln wanted to talk to his “dissatisfied fellow-countrymen” about how he would be as president, he wanted to state his policies and confederacy, and wanted to explain what taking his oath to the United States meant to him and how he would act with his power in the government. He also wanted to persuade the country to not get into a conflict or civil war. This had a lot of historical significance because he wanted the people to understand his role more, and understand his oath and how he would act in his first term as the 16th president of the United States.
He states that the purpose of his address was not to “interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists.” He did not think it was his right, or lawful of him to do, he believed that these choices were the peoples. He later talks about his administration and that it will obey the Constitution that he took an oath to. He wrote, “I take the official oath to-day with no mental reservations and with no purpose to construe the Constitution or laws by any hypercritical rules.” He clearly states that he will obey the Constitution.
He also wanted to explain his role to the people, he wrote, “I shall take care, as the Constitution itself expressly enjoins upon me, that the laws of the Union be faithfully executed in all the states.” “I trust this will not be regarded as a menace, but only as the declared purpose of the Union that it will constitutionally defend and maintain itself.” He wants to clearly tell the people that he will stick to the Constitution but that this shouldn’t hurt others, and he states it so clearly that it makes the reader think of him as an honest man. He is addressing people who might get upset by his choices in the future, and backs that up with the Constitution which added logic to his opinions. He wanted to execute rules in the states, and to talk about the problem of states disagreeing with the governments laws, he says that those laws will be from the Constitution.
He later explains that the Constitution is not a perfect document though, and not every question can be answered by it. Lincoln says, “No foresight can anticipate nor any document of reasonable length contain express provisions for all possible questions.” He even questions if any government can be perfect. Lincoln then addresses minorities and majorities arguing and being in debate with each other. He basically points out that the government can keep itself in check and under control because it has multiple opinions. He explains that without the differencing opinions that anarchy would happen. He says, “A majority held in restraint by constitutional checks and limitation, and always changing easily with deliberate changes of popular opinions and sentiments, is the only true sovereign of a free people.”
Next he spoke about slavery and talked to both sides about being cautious. He asks the country to be careful when making decisions about slavery. He wrote, “…think calmly and well upon this whole subject. Nothing valuable can be lost by taking time.” He even states that both sides could be right. Then he brought God into the picture, which probably made the people relate to him more, and think more deeply about their opinions. He states, “If the Almighty Ruler of Nations, with His eternal truth and justice, be on your side of the North, or on yours of the South, that truth and that justice will surely prevail by the judgment of this great tribunal of the American people.” I almost missed that he was talking about God until I read the “His” which was written in a capital H implying God not just another person. He continues to use God to connect to the audience by addressing the values of the country. “Intelligence, patriotism, Christianity, and a firm reliance on Him who has never yet forsaken this favored land are still competent to adjust in the best way all our present difficulty.” With this sentence he sounds calming, not rash or angry. He sounds like he wants to appeal to the people and reinforce a peace of mind by saying God will be with them through all difficulty.
Then Lincoln boldly points out that. “You have no oath registered in heaven to destroy the Government, while I shall have the most solemn one to “preserve, protect, and defend it.”” He tells the people clearly that if they want a civil war over slavery that he will try to stop it, because he made an oath to do so. But that they should think clearly about it, because they do not have an oath to break their country. Then he used emotion in his final paragraph to back this statement up, to support it and persuade his fellow country-men to stick together.
In his final paragraph Lincoln gives a feeling of peace, unity, and oneness. I think he ended on this note so that he could avoid conflict. He wants the country to stay a whole united strength. He knows that passionate argument will happen within the Union but that the history of the Union can keep the country together and strong. That even though within the country there will be disagreements that the country will stand together. It was inspiring to read the last paragraph. And ultimately convinced me to agree with Lincoln, that the ultimate goal of his is to unite the country and uphold the Constitution not make Southerners or Northerners angry.
“I am loath to close. We are not enemies, but friend. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.”
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