Lincoln's second inaugural address speaks mainly on the topic of the ongoing civil war. He begins by reflecting upon its beginnings, when the nation was divided, on many topics, but specifically on the issue to fight or not to fight. He remembers a time when politicians tried to speak their plight in the halls of Washington, rather than on the battlefield, while others incited populations into war. Then he moves on to speak about why he feels we went to war. This was chiefly slavery, seeing as 1/8 of our population was slaves in the south. He saw that the nation could not overcome its differences regarding the expansion of slavery, and so it crumbled into war. He felt that this was god's punishment for the horrible institution they allowed. He felt that the war would be prolonged until all the blood taken by the lash had been repaid by the sword. He ended his speech with a feeling of hopefulness and unease.
Lincoln's first inaugural address:
Lincoln's first inaugural address:
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