July 4, 2007

Abraham Lincoln, At Ease

Abraham Lincoln wrote one of the nation's greatest speeches, even perhaps its greatest speech, in the aftermath of the terrible carnage at Gettysburg. For three days, vast armies collided in a small Pennsylvania town, fighting over the nature of liberty and equality. Lincoln returned to the site in November of that year to deliver his most eloquent and somber address.

In the days immediately following the battle, in which the hopes of the Confederacy were dashed, Lincoln felt far more celebratory than somber. His armies had finally broken Robert E. Lee and forced him back into Virginia, and Washington would never face serious threat again. The capital was in a joyous mood, and Lincoln delivered his Independence Day speech on the 7th as part of that festive atmosphere:

Fellow-citizens: I am very glad to see you to-night. But yet I will not say I thank you for this call. But I do most sincerely thank Almighty God for the occasion on which you have called. [Cheers.] How long ago is it? Eighty odd years since, upon the Fourth day of July, for the first time in the world, a union body of representatives was assembled to declare as a self-evident truth that all men were created equal. [Cheers.]

That was the birthday of the United States of America. Since then the fourth day of July has had several very peculiar recognitions. The two most distinguished men who framed and supported that paper, including the particular declaration I have mentioned, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, the one having framed it, and the other sustained it most ably in debate, the only two of the fifty-five or fifty-six who signed it, I believe, who were ever President of the United States, precisely fifty years after they put their hands to that paper it pleased the Almighty God to take away from this stage of action on the Fourth of July. This extraordinary coincidence we can understand to be a dispensation of the Almighty Ruler of Events.

Another of our Presidents, five years afterwards, was called from this stage of existence on the same day of the month, and now on this Fourth of July just past, when a gigantic rebellion has risen in the land, precisely at the bottom of which is an effort to overthrow that principle "that all men are created equal," we have a surrender of one of their most powerful positions and powerful armies forced upon them on that very day. [Cheers.] And I see in the succession of battles in Pennsylvania, which continued three days, so rapidly following each other as to be justly called one great battle, fought on the first, second and third of July; on the fourth the enemies of the declaration that all men are created equal had to turn tail and run. [Laughter and applause.]

Gentlemen, this is a glorious theme and a glorious occasion for a speech, but I am not prepared to make one worthy of the theme and worthy of the occasion. [Cries of "go on," and applause.] I would like to speak in all praise that is due to the the [sic] many brave officers and soldiers who have fought in the cause of the Union and liberties of this country from the beginning of this war, not on occasions of success, but upon the more trying occasions of the want of success. I say I would like to speak in praise of these men, particularizing their deeds, but I am unprepared. I should dislike to mention the name of a single officer, lest in doing so I wrong some other one whose name may not occur to me. [Cheers.]

Recent events bring up certain names, gallantly prominent, but I do not want to particularly name them at the expense of others, who are as justly entitled to our gratitude as they. I therefore do not upon this occasion name a single man. And now I have said about as much as I ought to say in this impromptu manner, and if you please, I'll take the music. [Tremendous cheering, and calls for the President to reappear.]

It's an interesting look at Lincoln, and probably more true to his nature. The crowd had pressed him for remarks, as they finally began to realize that the North had turned the tide of the war, and that Lincoln's tenacity would save the Union. Lincoln didn't prepare for the speech (historian James R. Heintze reconstructed it from contemporaneous accounts) and probably thought that the world would truly little note what was said on that day. While he took care in November to eschew triumphalism, he had no problem indulging it four days after the end of the battle, insinuating cowardice on behalf of the Confederate Army fleeing Pennsylvania.

Even so, Lincoln retained his sense of the historic, and his basic sense of humility as well. He spoke nothing of himself except to excuse any further remarks, but instead talked of the men who came before him, and the men who had actually won the great battle. He left for history the "I told you so" that must have been on his mind, if not on his tongue. This shows us Abraham Lincoln at ease, and delightfully so.

UPDATE: Several e-mailers note that I was in error on KIA at Gettysburg, confusing casualties -- which include missing, wounded and killed -- with deaths. They're correct; my apologies.

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Comments (7)

Posted by exDemo | July 4, 2007 11:48 AM

Mr. Lincoln was derided by his critics as an ape and buffoon. Occasionally they called him an imbecile and... a moron.

Does that remind anyone of the present day occupant of the White House?

They criticized the constant failures of the Union armies, and Mr. Lincoln's idiocy in selecting such leaders.

Does that remind you of the present day occupant of the White House?

They criticized Lincoln as a pig headed stubborn oaf, who would not recognize reality and let the country be fractured in the name of.. Peace.

Does that remind anyone of the present day occupant of the White House?

They criticized Lincoln for turning the other cheek, and refusing to tear down his opponents like some of his supporters desired.

Does that remind anyone of the present day occupant of the White House?

Lincoln for saw the repeated division of the fractured country for which he fought, into smaller pieces, as almost happened with in the Confederacy. He also for saw the continent being shredded in constant petty wars like Europe, as a consequence,

Does that remind anyone of the present day occupant of the White House?

Lincoln admitted that he "...would be beat and beat badly..." if the election were held that day.

Does that remind anyone of the present day occupant of the White House?

Lincoln persevered until he found his General, and the weight of the military might began to bear on the opposition.

Does that remind anyone of the present day occupant of the White House?

Things were grim when Grant and Sherman began their Forty Days, At the end of those Forty Days, Sherman was marching unopposed across Georgia, and Lee was trapped in a losing Siege and all hope for the opposition was gone.

Does that remind anyone of the present day occupant of the White House?

(I certainly hope so !)

Posted by Bennett | July 4, 2007 12:09 PM

I have always been amazed that Lincoln spoke more or less extemporaneously, having had only a little bit of time to gather his thoughts before he addressed the crowd. And he didn't speak long and from what I've read, he didn't speak loud, but what he said still raises goose bumps for me, no matter how many times I've read the speech or heard it read by others.

I remember after the 2004 election there was talk of secession from some of the loonier left (Lawrence O'Donnell comes to mind). And I thought at the time, go back and read the Gettysburg Address you idiot, commit it to memory because many men died to preserve this union and it should be tantamount to sedition to even suggest we ever go through that again, especially because you don't like the results of one election!

Posted by andrew | July 4, 2007 12:55 PM

You did make one mistake. 50,000 didn't give their lives at Gettysburg there were 50,000+ casualties which includes wounded, missing and captured.

Posted by chsw | July 4, 2007 9:50 PM

Another point about Lincoln's speech -

When Lincoln says "we have a surrender of one of their most powerful positions and powerful armies forced upon them on that very day," he is not talking about Gettysburg, for no army surrendered there. Lincoln is talking about Vicksburg, MS, which surrendered to Grant on July 4. Vicksburg's surrender ended the rebel use of the waterway. Without use of the Mississippi River, resupply of Confederate forces by the French and British via Mexico was made impossible.

chsw

Posted by Charles Slaybaugh | July 5, 2007 10:58 AM

In your comments on Lincoln's July 4, 1863 speech, you state that "Washington would never face serious threat again" That is not exactly right. On July 11, 1864, General Jubal Early and 10,000 confederates were within 5 miles of downtown DC and could have overrun the town and changed the course of history had Early not hesitated. He did retreat back into Virginia, but not before pulling thousands of troops from the encirclement of Petersburg. Perhaps that was his true motive and he never intended to attack Washington, but he had the single greatest and immediate threat to the city that occurred during the Civil War.

Posted by Charles Slaybaugh | July 5, 2007 11:09 AM

In your comments on Lincoln's July 4, 1863 speech, you state that "Washington would never face serious threat again" That is not exactly right. On July 11, 1864, General Jubal Early and 10,000 confederates were within 5 miles of downtown DC and could have overrun the town and changed the course of history had Early not hesitated. He did retreat back into Virginia, but not before pulling thousands of troops from the encirclement of Petersburg. Perhaps that was his true motive and he never intended to attack Washington, but he had the single greatest and immediate threat to the city that occurred during the Civil War.

Posted by Charles Slaybaugh | July 5, 2007 11:13 AM

In your comments on Lincoln's July 4, 1863 speech, you state that "Washington would never face serious threat again" That is not exactly right. On July 11, 1864, General Jubal Early and 10,000 confederates were within 5 miles of downtown DC and could have overrun the town and changed the course of history had Early not hesitated. He did retreat back into Virginia, but not before pulling thousands of troops from the encirclement of Petersburg. Perhaps that was his true motive and he never intended to attack Washington, but he had the single greatest and immediate threat to the city that occurred during the Civil War.