Read Lincoln's "Gettysburg Address" and "Second Inaugural Address" and write/post a journal: Choose an important quote from the reading and paraphrase it. (Try to not choose a quote that has already been chosen.)

-- Anonymous, February 04, 2005

Answers

"...we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow, this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here [wanna bet?], but it can never forget what they did here."

It isn't the speech or the act of commemorating this battlefield that makes it sacred. It's the people who fought the war and sacrificed their lives for a just cause that make it truly great.

-- Anonymous, February 05, 2005

"It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced."

I chose this quote because it captures the very moment in Lincoln's speech where he turns from dedicating the battlefield of Gettysburg to looking to the future. It shows that yes, there is business to be finished, and we need to get back to it; this war needs to be over, and all these people died here saving the nation, while we are standing here doing nothing about it. Saying it this way makes it sound...not as majestic, I guess, but that's the only way I can explain it. The speech in general but mainly this quotation from it show just how majestic and eloquent Lincoln can be while still being a somber leader dedicating the battlefield to the people who died there fighting for it.

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2005

"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 not judge, lest we be judged."

I chose this passage because it states that men should not ask God for help, only to aid them to make others suffer. It seems unchristian, and wrong. At the end he sort-of takes back his remarks, however, saying that it is not our place to question another's actions, no matter how impious those actions are or are not.

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2005

“… 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 bondman’s two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another, drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still must it be said: ‘The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.’”

I chose this quote because it sets a reason why although each side calls on God to end the war He would let it continue. After about four years of fighting, the people certainly wanted to know why it was still continuing. Both sides expected early on an easy victory, but instead the civil war continued on. It elaborately states that: we hope the war will stop, but God may be making us pay for the horrors of slavery.

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2005

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure.

This quote means that the civil war was fought to test the nations morals and to see if a nation built as the U.S. is can grow and prosper in the long run. I chose this quote because this showed a main reason the leader of our nation was fighting the war.

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2005

"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"

This quote that concluded Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address shows his stand of moving the nation forward together and united under one government. He knew that if the South was treated harshly, united feelings would not come for a long time. He saw the oppurtunity for a quick recovery to unite the nation and end oppression and hatred for eachother. Unfortunately, Lincoln could never complete this goal, and thus the nation was never unified until over one-hundred years later. Some may say the nation still is not unified, for people are still judged by race, gender, and religion. Thus, this goal of Abraham Lincoln may never be accomplished.

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2005

“It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us. . .that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion. . . that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain. . . that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom. . . and that government of the people. . .by the people. . .for the people. . . shall not perish from the earth. “

This quote is very important because it shows that even though this country was at war they would not give up and that they would survive this time of death ad terror. And that they are here in the place of many men that died in the war and that sacrificed their lives for their

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2005

"Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal."

Although slavery was not the main contributer to the Civil War, it, like many things in history, goes against the sayings of our forfathers. The reason that this country was created was that we wanted religious freedom. Once we were here, we separated from England because of taxation without representation. Now, in this country today, we find ourselves breaking some of our own promises. For many years, men were NOT treated as equals. Even today, there are injustices that occur because of bias towards different races, genders, and religions. Also, our liberty is being stripped from us, although not nearly as drastic or dramatic as it was in England. Although the Bill of Rights insures us with certain rights, some of them are being limited or redefined for the needs of a growing society. The point is, we have found over history that the starting lines of the Gettysburg Address have not always been applied in government, despite the best intentions from our founding fathers.

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2005

"We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting-place for those who here gave their lives that the nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this."

They buried the dead on a battlefield of the war, showing respect for those who fought and died. The nation is like it is today because of all those who died in that war. Lincoln believes that this is the best thing to do for them because of all they've done for the nation.

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2005

"Governemnt of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

This is the most important quote ever. It sumerizes why the US is so great. we are a governemnt from the people. The people are what give the government the power to govern. Democracy is great becasue it is governemnt by the people. we the peopel are the ones doing the governing, from the county board to the president of teh US, we are citizens. We are a people for the peoploe. everything we do is in the best intresest of the people of our country, and of mankind. And we do not want such a great philosophy of governement to ever perish from this earth.

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2005

"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."

Lincoln here has effectively made the point that war is the result of a strong desire. The North intended to ascertain the unity of the nation (United States after all >_<) at whatever cost, and the South could no longer tolerate the country's attitude towards them and their policies of slavery, so they intended to separate. Each one's intentions were so great and so opposite that compromise could not happen. Thus, war.

Other interesting comment: A fundamental principle of Buddhism is that suffering is the result of desire. War is the result of strong desire as said above, and war is probably the greatest cause of suffering in the world.

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2005

"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 the north nor the south really approved of the war; but the south would start the war to destroy the union; and the north would fight back to preserve the union. The war happened.

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2005

~“The prayers of both could not be answered—that of neither has been answered fully. The Almighty as His own purposes.” Both the North and the South were teased with the possible victory that could have resulted after the offenses of the country. Because neither side could have won, neither prayer could have been answered to it’s full potential. Overall you have to have the faith in god’s purpose for things as much as you do your own prayers.

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2005

"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..."

Here, Lincoln is testifying of the horrors of war and saying that he does not want any more war in the country. However, he does pledge to defend freedom and justice if necessary.

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2005

"Both read the same Bible, and pray to the same God"

I chose this quote as it demonstrates Lincolns developing implementation of religion into his politics. In his first term, he led a non secular office that battled to keep the union as one. In his second term, he led a religious crusade against the evils of slavery invoking (as the south may as well) the will of God. This is important as it shows Lincolns changing character for better or worse.

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2005