The Last Lincoln

President Abraham Lincoln, in his “Second Inaugural Address” (1865), declares the Civil War to be at the fault of the South, and that as such, they can no longer do anything to stop it. Lincoln makes this declaration by subtly indicating that the Southern states willed the war as a result of their desire to destroy the Union, by stating outright that the cause of the war lay in the issues of slavery in the South, and finally, by stating that if the war is G-d’s will, they can do nothing but fight for what they believe in. Lincoln’s purpose is to make his people aware of the fact that the South is to blame for the war and to indicate to them that it is their duty to finish the war in order to be able to rebuild the country. His tone is calm, yet also almost regretful, as if he wishes they didn't have to fight anymore.

I think Lincoln’s Address is kind of funny, in a very morose sort of way. Lincoln is sick and tired of the South yelling and fighting with him all the time, so he just accepts the war as a fact and then piles all of the blame onto them. I don’t know if I necessarily agree with this, but I think what he said was appropriate for the occasion. The people didn’t want to hear anything more about friendly ties and country roots, they wanted to fight for their beliefs. Lincoln is basically sitting back and saying “Have at it, I’m done with this.” Accepting the war was the first step to finishing it. In regards to the actual meaning behind his words, I don’t think all of the blame should have been put on the South. Sure, they were acting like a rebellious teenager (“I don’t want to follow your dumb laws! I can do anything I want! So there!), but the North also had a part in starting the war. When the country was just beginning in the late 1700s, the North was the center of the country. It was where all government decisions were made. The South felt left out right from the beginning, which led to tensions that eventually turned into the Civil War. So, in my opinion, the blame should be split, maybe not equally, but split, between the North and the South.