Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address
Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address
1865
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President Abraham Lincoln gave his second inaugural address on March 4, 1865. The Civil War was close to an end and Lincoln wanted to start the process of healing the wounded nation. Lincoln’s tone is somber; it is not one of celebration, but a recognition by him that the country made mistakes before the Civil War that led to a conflict that was more bloody than either side expected. As he mentions, “All dreaded it, all sought to avert it...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.” He talks about Divine Providence and wonders what God’s will was for allowing the war to come. He invokes many Christian allusions and quotes, including Genesis 3:19, Matthew 7:1, Psalm 19:9, and more. Many see this speech as Lincoln starting to defend his preferred version of Reconstruction, in which the rebels are not harshly treated by the victors.
