House Divided Speech Full Text Text of Lincoln's Speech

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• Macron outlines his vision for Europe to become an assertive global power as war in Ukraine rages on
• Abraham Lincoln
• Why Lincoln’s ‘House Divided’ Speech Was So Important
• Understanding Lincoln Online Course
• HISTORY Vault: Abraham Lincoln
• Abraham Lincoln's "House Divided" Speech
• "A record of the personal services of our American women in the late Civil War"

He has done all in his power to reduce the whole question of slavery to one of a mere right of property; and as such, how can he oppose the foreign slave-trade? How can he refuse that trade in that "property" shall be "perfectly free," unless he does it as a protection to the home production? At length a squabble springs up between the President and the author of the Nebraska Bill, on the mere question of fact, whether the Lecompton constitution was or was not in any just sense made by the people of Kansas; and in that quarrel the latter declares that all he wants is a fair vote for the people, and that he cares not whether slavery be voted down or voted up.

Macron outlines his vision for Europe to become an assertive global power as war in Ukraine rages on

Whenever, if ever, he and we can come together on principle so that our great cause may have assistance from his great ability, I hope to have interposed no adventitious obstacle. But clearly, he is not now with us—he does not pretend to be—he does not promise ever to be. “Douglas had been seeking a middle ground between North and South, some way of comprising on the slavery issue,” says Eric Foner, a history professor at Columbia University who has written several books about slavery and the Civil War. I believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free.

Abraham Lincoln

"A house divided against itselfcannot stand." I believe this government cannot endure permanently, halfslave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved,--I donot expect the house to fall; but I do expect it will cease to bedivided. Either theopponents of slavery will arrest the further spread of it, and place itwhere the public mind shall rest in the belief that it is in the courseof ultimate extinction; or its advocates will push it forward till itshall become alike lawful in all the States, old as well as new, Northas well as South.

Our divided nation will fall unless we return to American pragmatism - The Fulcrum

Our divided nation will fall unless we return to American pragmatism.

Posted: Wed, 07 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Why Lincoln’s ‘House Divided’ Speech Was So Important

Yet he also has criticized the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, for mounting civilian deaths in Gaza and told him that future US aid depends on Israel taking steps to protect civilians. “I’m not going to weigh in on processes happening at Morehouse, but he looks forward to going there and celebrating with the graduates,” he added. By Tuesday afternoon, some Morehouse alumni were circulating an online letter that condemns the administration’s invitation to Biden and seeking signatures to pressure Morehouse’s president, David Thomas, to rescind it. Joe Biden will be the commencement speaker at Morehouse College in Georgia, giving the Democrat a key spotlight at one of the nation’s pre-eminent historically Black campuses but potentially exposing him to uncomfortable protests as he seeks re-election against Donald Trump. Our cause, then, must be entrusted to, and conducted by, its own undoubted friends—those whose hands are free, whose hearts are in the work—who do care for the result. The outgoing president,[9] in his last annual message, as impressively as possible echoed back upon the people the weight and authority of the endorsement.

Let any one who doubts, carefully contemplate that now almost complete legal combination -- piece of machinery so to speak -- compounded of the Nebraska doctrine, and the Dred Scott decision. Let him consider not only what work the machinery is adapted to do, and how well adapted; but also, let him study the history of its construction, and trace, if he can, or rather fail, if he can, to trace the evidence of design and concert of action, among its chief architects, from the beginning. [63] They remind us that he is a very great man, and that the largest of us are very small ones. But “a living dog is better than a dead lion.”  Judge Douglas, if not a dead lion forthis work,is at least a caged and toothless one. His avowed mission is impressing the “public heart” to care nothing about it.

HISTORY Vault: Abraham Lincoln

[19] “But,” said opposition members, “let us be more specific – let us amend the bill so as to expressly declare that the people of the territory may exclude slavery.”  “Not we,” said the friends of the measure, and down they voted the amendment. We cannot absolutely know that all these adaptations are the result ofpreconcert. We cannot absolutely know that all these exact adaptations are the result of preconcert. And this may especially be expected if the doctrine of “care not whether slavery be voted down or voted up,” shall gain upon the public mind sufficiently to give promise that such a decision can be maintained when made.

Wise counsels may accelerate or mistakes delay it, but sooner or later, the victory is sure to come. (1) That no negro slave, imported as such from Africa, and no descendant of such slave, can ever be a citizen of any State, in the sense of that term as used in the Constitution of the United States. This point is made in order to deprive the negro in every possible event of the benefit of that provision of the United States Constitution which declares that "the citizens of each State shall be entitled to all the privileges and immunities of citizens in the several States." Lincoln’s now-famous “house divided” line, which is drawn from the Bible, was actually part of a campaign speech he delivered at the 1858 Illinois Republican State Convention. Lincoln, then a relatively unknown politician, had just won the nomination to run for U.S. Senate against one of the most important politicians in the country, Stephen A. Douglas.

"A record of the personal services of our American women in the late Civil War"

For years he has labored to prove it a sacredright of white men to take negro slaves into the new territories. And, unquestionably they can be bought cheaper in Africa than in Virginia. [62] There are those who denounce us openly to their own friends, and yet whisper us softly, that Senator Douglas is the aptest instrument there is, with which to effect that object.

Lincoln's House Divided Speech

His reasoning purposefully echoed George Washington’s Farewell Address of 1796, which warned Americans that “the spirit of party” is a prime threat to “Union … a main prop of your liberty.” For Lincoln, Americans’ common identification with the guiding ideal of equality should transcend their affiliations with political parties. The alternative to bitter polarization that Lincoln offered didn’t prevent the Civil War. But it shaped postwar understanding of the territorial, political and even armed conflicts that led to it and the lessons to be learned from it. Sectional tension existed in America from the time of its founding.

That "subject to the Constitution of the United States,"neither Congress nor a territorial legislature can exclude slavery fromany United States Territory. This point is made in order that individualmen may fill up the Territories with slaves, without danger of losingthem as property, and thus enhance the chances of permanency to theinstitution through all the future.Thirdly. That whether the holding a negro in actual slavery in a freeState makes him free as against the holder, the United States Courtswill not decide, but will leave to be decided by the courts of any slaveState the negro may be forced into by the master. There are those who denounce us openly to their own friends, and yet whisper us softly that Senator Douglas is the aptest instrument there is with which to effect that object.

But Americans can apply the logic of his argument to contemporary inequities based on race, employment, gender, voting rights, criminal justice, religion and more. The nation is a house divided, many times over, in all of those cases. Mr. Buchanan was elected, and the indorsement, such as it was, secured. The outgoing President, in his last annual message, as impressively as possible echoed back upon the people the weight and authority of the indorsement. The Presidential inauguration came, and still no decision of the court; but the incoming President in his inaugural address, fervently exhorted the people to abide by the forthcoming decision, whatever it might be.

Either the opponents of slavery will arrest the further spread of it, and place it where the public mind shall rest in the belief that it is in the course of ultimate extinction; or its advocates will push it forward till it shall become alike lawful in all the States, old as well as new, North as well as South. If we could first know where we are, and whither we are tending, wecould better judge what to do, and how to do it. We are now far into thefifth year since a policy was initiated with the avowed object andconfident promise of putting an end to slavery agitation. Under theoperation of that policy, that agitation has not only not ceased, buthas constantly augmented. In my opinion it will not cease until a crisisshall have been reached and passed.