Lincoln’s Second Inaugural
Don Coldsmith
Monday, February 9, 2009
A FEW MONTHS ago, I wrote about the intolerance of some professed Christians against those of other faiths. This, of course, is unconstitutional, since our Constitution guarantees Freedom of Religion. A reader sent me a copy of Abraham Lincoln’s second inaugural address, which seems appropriate to share, so near his birthday and with the world’s problems as they are today. I’ve done some light editing to allow it to fit this space.
Fellow countrymen: 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.
On the occasion corresponding to this four years ago, all thoughts were anxiously directed to an impending civil war. All dreaded it — all sought to avert it. While the inaugural address was being delivered from this place, 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. And the war came.
Neither party expected for the war the magnitude or the duration which it has already attained. Neither anticipated that the cause of the conflict might cease with, or even before, the conflict itself should cease. Each looked for an easier triumph, and a result less fundamental and astounding. Both read the same Bible, and pray to the same God; and each invokes his aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God’s assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men’s faces; but let us judge not, that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered — that of neither has been answered fully.
The Almighty has his own purposes. “Woe unto the world because of offenses! for it must needs be that offenses come; but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh.” If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of those offenses which, in the providence of God, must needs come, but which, having continued through his appointed time, he now wills to remove, and that he gives to both North and South this terrible war, as the woe due to those by whom the offense came, shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a living God always ascribe to him? Fondly do we hope — fervently do we pray — that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, 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 by 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.”
With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan — to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves, and with all nations.
What else can we say? In Lincoln’s words, “We pray to the same God,” who is ultimately in charge anyway. May His will be done.
See you down the road.
Author and columnist Don Coldsmith lives in Emporia.
josiesbar (anonymous) says...
"and which excepted parts, are for the present, left precisely as if this proclamation were not issued."-- Emancipation Proclamation, Jan 1, 1863
February 10, 2009 at 2:07 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
seriouslyfolks (anonymous) says...
How about a piece on atheists intolerant of Christians? Is that not also unconstitutional? What about Muslim intolerance of ...........well pretty much everyone else. I can write that one for you, here it is in it's entirety: September 11th 2001.
So is there intolerance in and out of religion? Yes. So this begs the question, what is your motive for only focusing on the one? Perhaps intolerance?
February 10, 2009 at 8:33 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )