Linguistics & Semiotics, United States History - 19th Century - Civil War, American & Canadian Literature, Executive Branch, Quotations & Speeches, United States History - General & Miscellaneous, U.S. Elections

Lincoln's Greatest Speech: The Second Inaugural

Name: Lincoln's Greatest Speech: The Second Inaugural
Author: Ronald C. White
ISBN: 9780743299626

by Ronald C. White

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Overview

As the day for Lincoln's second inauguration drew near, Americans wondered what their sixteenth president would say about the Civil War. Would Lincoln guide the nation toward "Reconstruction"? What about the slaves? They had been emancipated, but what about the matter of suffrage? When Lincoln finally stood before his fellow countrymen on March 4, 1865, and had only 703 words to share, the American public was stunned. The President had not offered the North a victory speech, nor did he excoriate the South for the sin of slavery. Instead, he called the whole country guilty of the sin and pleaded for reconciliation and unity.

In this compelling account, noted historian Ronald C. White Jr. shows how Lincoln's speech was initially greeted with confusion and hostility by many in the Union; commended by the legions of African Americans in attendance, abolitionist leader Frederick Douglass among them; and ultimately appropriated by his assassin John Wilkes Booth forty-one days later.

Filled with all the facts and factors surrounding the Second Inaugural, Lincoln's Greatest Speech is both an important historical document and a thoughtful analysis of Lincoln's moral and rhetorical genius.

Synopsis

Publishers Weekly

Dean and professor of American religious history at the San Francisco Theological Seminary, White (Religion and the Bill of Rights) does for Lincoln's Second Inaugural ("with malice toward none... ") something of what Garry Wills did for the Gettysburg Address: explicate Lincoln's remarks, place them in the context of the hour when they were uttered, and demonstrate how Lincoln (as usual) sought to shape public sentiment through the power of eloquent and carefully calculated rhetoric. In the process, however, White expends a great deal of ink attempting to prove a point that many will think moot. Why is it necessary to label the Second Inaugural "Lincoln's greatest speech"? Such subjective competition is dicey, especially when it comes to Lincoln, who made a habit of great eloquence, whether on Inauguration Day 1865 or at Gettysburg in 1863. There is also his "House Divided Speech" of 1858 and his 1860 remarks at New York's Cooper Union. Which of these is Lincoln's "greatest" speech? Who is to decide, and what is the point of arbitrating such questions? That said, White's book does a workmanlike job of parsing the 701 words in which Lincoln, with victory in sight, briefly laid down the philosophical framework for reconciliation between South and North, a framework grounded in simple Christian generosity. Agent, Mary Evans. (Feb. 12) Forecast: White doesn't have the name recognition of Wills to propel this onto bestseller lists. While aimed at a wide audience, its sales will probably be limited to Lincoln- and Civil War-era buffs. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

About the Author, Ronald C. White

Ronald C. White Jr. is professor of American Intellectual and Religious History at San Francisco Theological Seminary, as well as the author and editor of five books. He lives in La Cañada, California.

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Editorials

From Barnes & Noble

Only 701 words long, Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address struck many of its original hearers as much too brief and much too mild. Northern newspapers complained about its declaration that the whole nation was complicit in slavery and its "malice toward none" call for postwar reconciliation. Undeterred by such criticism, Lincoln himself regarded the Second Inaugural at his finest speech. Not only does author Ronald C. White agree with this verdict; he places this American classic within its historical context, explaining what it tells us about the things Lincoln might have done, had he lived.

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Library Journal

The author, currently dean and professor of American religious history at San Francisco Theological Seminary, contends that Abraham Lincoln's second inaugural address demonstrates rhetorical brilliance; it is concise and polished, incorporating biblical learning, finely honed moral precepts, and an implied direction for national peace and reconciliation. Puzzling to many in attendance on that inauguration day, it was neither a victory speech for the North nor a castigation of the South. Lincoln, author Gary Wills has noted, in a "defiance of expectation" had nothing useful to say about the Civil War. Both printed and handwritten texts of the Second Inaugural precede chapters that scrutinize the speech rhetorically section by section and examine the influences upon Lincoln that shaped its composition. This extremely well written work is, however, not solely an exegesis; it is also a narrative of Lincoln's evolving beliefs and political acuity, a study of those whom he observed and who observed him. The list of sources used is extensive, and the author acknowledges those works that were most helpful. Highly recommended for large public and academic libraries. Kathleen M. Conley, Illinois State Univ. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

A thoughtful historical, cultural, and literary meditation on President Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural address. Author and editor of several books examining America's social and religious history (The Social Gospel, not reviewed, etc.) and dean of the San Francisco Theological Seminary, White is well qualified to analyze Lincoln's powerful Second Inaugural address-a 701-word speech that took an essentially religious approach to political issues. The author begins by introducing readers to the Civil War's turbulent closing days: wounded Union soldiers swamp the nation's capitol; Vice President Andrew Johnson publicly drinks himself into a stupor; John Wilkes Booth observes the proceedings with quiet malevolence. Amid this chaos, White presents Lincoln's address as a statement that transcends the politics of the day and offers both a diagnosis and a cure for a US to overcome the deep national rift caused by the Civil War. Reflecting on each paragraph of the Second Inaugural separately, he argues that Lincoln ultimately understood the Civil War in religious terms, by recognizing the horrors of slavery and battle as sins requiring a national healing rather than bloodthirsty vengeance against the Confederate states. White reminds us that while the popular American press of the time gave a tepid response to Lincoln's call for charity for the soon-to-be-defeated South, more visionary members of his audience-like Frederick Douglass, the Cabinet, the Supreme Court, and others-hailed the speech as an important step toward a true post-Civil War union. This contrast, between the president's sincere love for the nation and the vengeful hatred that permeated American society in early 1865,effectively illuminates the greatness of Lincoln's perceptive intellect and formidable character. Well researched, wonderfully written, and at times extraordinarily moving. White's relatively small volume comes closer to finding the true spirit of Abraham Lincoln than many of the more celebrated biographies.