150 Years Ago Today - Lincoln's Gettysburg Address Nov 19

[matefrio]

Four score 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.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field 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 that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not 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, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. 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.

Abraham Lincoln
November 19, 1863

 

[shortround]

Bravo!

 

[F350-6]

And he wasn't even the headliner. Edward Everett, the keynote speaker, delivered a speech of over 13,000 words while Lincoln spoke fewer than 300 and was blatantly wrong in one aspect.

The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here

While true for Everett, Lincoln couldn't have been further off about his own statements.

Now the scary part is, what does the future hold? Will we have any more presidents who say something so profound and remembered, or will they just be reduced to 140 character comments?

 

[Mexican_Hippie]

Political posturing after needlessly waging war to retain Control of people and money.

Sorry but while I think the slave trade was horrible, I also think Lincoln was one of the worst presidents we've ever had. He was just another political hack.

 

[winchster]

..... waging war to retain Control of people and money.

And sadly likely to occur again.

 

[HillRider]

Political posturing after needlessly waging war to retain Control of people and money.

Sorry but while I think the slave trade was horrible, I also think Lincoln was one of the worst presidents we've ever had. He was just another political hack.

I agree. Lincoln was a tyrant responsible for the death of almost a million Americans.

 

[Texasjack]

History books are written by the victors, and few histories are cherry-picked like the Civil War (aka, The War of Northern Aggression).

Still, it was a good speech. Concise and with deep respect for the dead.

Both sides believed very strongly in the greatness of the country and relished the freedom that America offered. Unabated immigration in the north gave much of the national political power to that section of the country. (Much as mass, unabated immigration into parts of this country has helped to give the Dems control in D.C.) The armies of both sides would be deeply opposed to our current Commie-in-Chief coming to deliver a teleprompter reading of words without faith or belief. The dead can rest easier since the Obamanation decided to stay home.

 

[TheDan]

Political posturing after needlessly waging war to retain Control of people and money.

Sorry but while I think the slave trade was horrible, I also think Lincoln was one of the worst presidents we've ever had. He was just another political hack.

yup

 

[cbigclarke]

Right on

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

 

[Grapenut]

What Lincoln Killed-Episode I-The Director's Edition - Founding Father Films

For those of you who do not know Mike Church.

Nut

 

[hellishhorses]

One of the most eloquent and respectful eulogies ever written. But the last half of the last sentence is an irony of all ironies. His abuse of authority to force something unwanted down the throats of Americans sounds an awful lot like present-day no matter what the issue.

Abraham Lincoln was not the civil rights activist most people think of him as:
I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races, that I am not nor ever have been in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race. --Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln/Douglas debates 1958

 

[TheDan]

I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races, that I am not nor ever have been in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race. --Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln/Douglas debates 1958

He was pandering in that quote. It's likely we'll never know what he truly thought, which is the case with all politicians. You pretty much have to assume everything they say in public is just pandering. What is written in private correspondence or conversation is about the only real glimpse we get of a politician's personal thoughts on a subject.