Download Abraham Lincoln presentation

The Rhetoric
of
Abraham Lincoln
Ashley Arnold
Casey Wilkinson
Lincoln’s Equality Rhetoric
David Zarefsky
The Nature of Rhetoric and
Change
• The classic political paradox: remaining
consistent in one’s basic principles while also
adapting to changing circumstances and
audiences
• David Zarefsky examines how Lincoln navigated
this paradox in respect to the pressing issue of
equality
• We will attempt to trace the evolution of Lincoln’s
stance by examining his rhetoric in public
statements
Lincoln’s Early Thoughts on
Equality
• Lincoln held a consistently limited view of racial equality
until midway through the Civil War when, under the force
of military necessity, it began to change. Yet he
articulated his position in a way that also permitted a
more expansive view of equality once the time was right.
• Lincoln’s first public statement on slavery came in 1837.
He stated, “(slavery is) founded on both injustice and
bad policy.” He then added, “abolition doctrines tend
rather to increase than abate its evils
• Therefore, he condemned slavery, but did not see
abolition as a satisfactory alternative, and did not yet
advocate equality.
Lincoln’s Early Thoughts on
Equality
• In 1854 Lincoln the issue of slavery becomes paramount
in public discourse due to the Kansas-Nebraska Act
• Lincoln’s speeches then began to clarify his objection to
slavery on moral grounds, however, he focused on his
objection to extending slavery into the free territories.
• In 1854 Lincoln stated, “There is a vast difference
between toleration [slavery where it enjoyed institutional
protection], and protecting the slaveholder in the rights
granted him by the Constitution, and extending slavery
over a territory already free, and uncontaminated with
the institution.
• Lincoln was not ready to support abolition or equality in
public
Lincoln’s Early Thoughts on
Equality
• In October, Lincoln continued to establish a
foundation of moral objection to slavery in his
rhetoric. He stated that he hated slavery both,
“because of the monstrous injustice of slavery
itself” and “because it deprives our republican
example of its just influence in the world.”
• This statement gives Lincoln a basis for
universal objection to slavery. At this time,
however, he refuses to take it that far.
Lincoln’s Early Thoughts on
Equality
• In 1855 there were two major developments in
Lincoln’s equality rhetoric
• First, he focused on ending slavery in the future
rather than in the present. Lincoln stated, “Can
we, as a nation, continue together permanently
– forever– half slave and half free?”
• Second, Lincoln’s speeches and writings began
to clarify that slavery was evil because it denied
the basic human right of “the right to rise.”
1857: The Springfield Speech
• This speech was given shortly after the
Dred Scott decision.
• It is vital in Lincoln’s equality rhetoric
evolution because it marks the first time he
publicly articulated the goal of an eventual
end to slavery and is evidence he was
beginning to support the idea of equality.
Four Key Components of the
Speech
• 1. Dissociation and the Meaning of
“Equality”
• 2. Constructing “Equality” as an abstract
idea
• 3. Defending against the charge of
Extremism
• 4. Defining Douglas as an Extremist
Dissociation and the Meaning of
“Equality”
• At this time debate centered around what the
founders mean by “all men are created equal.”
• In this speech, Lincoln stated, “I think the authors of that notable
instrument intended to include all men, but they did not intend to
declare all men equal in all respects. They did not mean to say that
all were equal in color, size, intellect, moral developments, or social
capacity. They defined with tolerable distinctness, in what respects
they did consider all men equal– equal in “certain inalienable rights,
among which are life liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
• This is called dissociation, taking a seemingly
unitary term “equality” and suggesting it actually
has several different dimensions and meanings,
rejecting some and embracing others.
Equality as an Abstract Ideal
• Lincoln’s second move in the Springfield speech
was to regard the achievement of equality as an
abstract ideal rather than an immediate political
goal.
• Lincoln stated, “(the Founders) did not mean to assert the obvious
untruth, that all were then actually enjoying that equality, nor yet that
they were about to confer it immediately upon them. In fact they had
no power to confer such a boon. They meant to simply declare the
right, so that the enforcement of it might follow as fast as
circumstances should permit.”
• Thus, Lincoln establishes the Founding Fathers
as his allies which leads to contrasting Douglas
as a villain.
Defending against the charge of
Extremism
• Lincoln emphasized that
Republican’s had yielded to
the Court’s Dred Scott
decision.
• “(Douglas) denounces all who
question the correctness of
that decision, as offering
violent resistance to it. But
who resists it? Who has, in
spite of the decision, declared
Dred Scott free, and resisted
the authority of his master over
him?
• Lincoln also stated that
Douglas was attempting to
dodging the real issues by
focusing on the slavery debate.
Defining Douglas as Extremist
• Lincoln charged that
Douglas was actively
working to spread
slavery into the
territories.
• Just like today, both
were trying to paint
the other as
extremists to make
them less appealing
to the middle.
1858: The Lincoln-Douglas
Debates
• Lincoln would make seemingly contrasting statements in
different regions of the state in regards to equality while
running for Senate.
• For example, Lincoln stated, “Let us discard all this quibbling about
this race or that race being in an inferior position…let us discard all
these things and unite as one people throughout this land.
• Two weeks later he stated, “…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.
• Lincoln was able to make such statements in different
regions, yet also remain consistent overall by
maintaining the dissociation and utilizing hedging
devices.
Maintaining the Dissociation
• Lincoln continued to distinguish between
equality as an economic principle and equality
as a social and political principle.
• Lincoln distinguished between the rights of a
man and the rights of a citizen.
• Therefore, when he said all men are created
equal, he was speaking in an economic sense,
when he disclaimed equality, he was speaking in
a social and political sense. Thus making the
two statements consistent.
Hedging Devices
• Lincoln used hedging devices to give himself room to
modify his views later when conditions warranted, and
still be able to claim consistency.
• For example, tied all of his statements about rights to the
Declaration of Independence. Therefore, if with time the
views of the meaning of the rights outlined in the
Declaration of Independence changed, then his did too.
• Another example can be found in a response to Douglas,
“I agree with Judge Douglas [the negro] is not my equal
in many respects—certainly not in color, perhaps not in
moral or intellectual endowment. (emphasis added)
Into the Presidency
• Lincoln’s basic position on racial equality
changed little between the debates in
1858 and his accession to the presidency
in 1861.
• He increasingly aligned his view with that
which he attributed to the founding fathers
and the Declaration of Independence, yet
he consistently distinguished economic
rights from political and social rights.
Into the Presidency
• The Civil War caused Lincoln to gently began
distancing himself from his earlier disavowals of
racial equality.
• For the first two years of the war, he made it
clear that the goal was the preservation of the
Union, not the eradication of slavery.
• As the war proceeded, that goal allowed him to
justify more radical measures. The Union would
be helped if slaves in the rebel states could
defect to the Union side.
Into the Presidency
• In 1864 he wrote a letter to Albert Hodges, in
which he stated, “I am naturally anti-slavery. If
slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong. I can not
remember when I did not so think, and feel. And
yet I have never understood that the Presidency
conferred upon me any unrestricted right to act
officially upon this judgment and feeling.”
• Lincoln’s own beliefs were not deemed sufficient
to justify his attacks on slavery; only military
necessity could do that.
Conclusion




Lincoln’s basic position always
remained the same throughout
his career
He favored economic equality,
but not social and political
equality between the races.
Lincoln adapted this basic
position in different ways as
the audience and situation
required, relying on
dissociation and hedging
devices.
In the end, it was military
necessity and desire to keep
the union together that gave
him the RIGHT to act on how
he FELT.
Major Rhetorical Challenges facing Lincoln
◊
Interpret conflict between the North and the
South
◊
Ensue the Civil War to support the Union
cause
◊
Sustain commitment to the war
◊
Justify the sacrifices entailed
The First
Inaugural
Address
March 4, 1861
First Inaugural
◊
Lincoln entered his first term with the intent to
preserve the union at all costs
◊
In his first address, he attempts to cement the
continued support of the citizens.
◊
In terms of understanding Lincoln’s rhetoric, this
speech is quite clear as it reflects the
controversies that surrounded Lincoln at the
time.
First Inaugural
◊
Announces Lincoln’s intention to respect
the rights of states in regard to slavery.
◊
Lincoln remarked “I have no purpose,
directly or indirectly, to interfere with the
institution of Slavery in the states where it
exists. I believe that I have no lawful right
to do so, and I have no inclination to do
so.”
First Inaugural
◊
Mention of the Constitution occurs often mostly to
justify his beliefs
◊
Lincoln comments that he intends to uphold the
provision of the Constitution that assures the return
of fugitive slaves, and also vows to never construe
the Constitution by any hypercritical rules.
◊
“All members of congress swear their support to the
whole constitution-to this provision, as much as to
any other…”
First Inaugural
◊
Most significant issue addressed: the disruption
of the Union.
◊
Lincoln states in a lucid manner, “no state upon
its own mere motion can lawfully get out of the
Union…and acts of violence within any State or
States, against the United states are
revolutionary…”
First Inaugural
◊
Boldly, Lincoln implies what he will and will not
do to preserve the Union.
◊
He will see that the laws are adhered to in all
states, and he will continue to hope for “a
peaceful solution of the national troubles and
the restoration of fraternal sympathies and
affections.”
◊
He will not tolerate violence or force to enforce
laws unless necessary to defend the property of
the government.
First Inaugural
◊
Lincoln continues to make his support of
the Union known, and moreover, tries to
offer advice to those not in favor of the
principles of the Union.
◊
By stating “the central idea of secession is
the essence of anarchy,” Lincoln attempts
to persuade the minority to agree to the
will of the majority (the Union).
The
Gettysburg
Address
November 19, 1863
Gettysburg Address
◊
As the war continued, Lincoln began to see it as
a struggle over the values in the Declaration of
Independence rather than simply a
disagreement over constitutional issues.
◊
In this address, Lincoln’s main rhetorical task
was to offer citizens a fair interpretation of what
the war meant and to make sense of issues at
hand.
Gettysburg Address
Lincoln intends to represent the larger meaning
that emerges from the sacrifices made by the
soldiers.
◊ Lincoln notes that “we have come to dedicate a
portion of that field, as a final resting place for
those who here gave their lives…”
◊ He goes on to state that “in a larger sense, we
cannot dedicate, consecrate or hollow this
ground. The brave men, living and dead, who
struggled here, have consecrated it, far above
our poor power to add or detract.”
◊
Gettysburg Address
◊
At this point, Lincoln encourages listeners that they
can “resolve that these dead shall not have died in
vain; that the nation shall, under God, have a new
birth of freedom, and that the government of the
people, by the people and for the people, shall not
perish from the earth.”
◊
Lincoln emphasizes here that the Civil War is not a
political struggle over the rights of states to secede,
but rather a test of the survival of the nation, by
and for the people.
◊
He wanted to make sure that the sacrifices of the
men during the war were recognized and that the
cause for which they died was not lost.
The Second
Inaugural
Address
March 4,1865
Second Inaugural
◊
Lincoln spoke from quite a different perspective in
this address—he adopted the platform that
advocated the emancipation of the slaves.
◊
In this address, he reflects upon the meaning of the
war for the country as a whole.
◊
Only four paragraphs, yet encompassing and
profound
Second Inaugural
◊
In the introductory paragraph, Lincoln
comments briefly on the state of the war,
as he notes it is “reasonably satisfactory
and encouraging to all.”
◊
Lincoln then sums up the first paragraph
by noting that he has “high hope for the
future…” in terms of the state of war.
Second Inaugural
◊
In the second paragraph of the speech, Lincoln starts
with a description of the situation in 1861, when all
dreaded war.
◊
The paragraph then shifts to a clear description of the
positions of the two sides, all the while, placing blame
on the South for ultimately ensuing the events.

Of the South, Lincoln states “one of them would make
war rather than let the nation survive,” and of the North
he comments “the other would accept war rather than
let it perish.”
Second Inaugural
◊
In the third paragraph, Lincoln suggests that all
knew that slavery was somehow the cause of
the war.

He clearly denotes a contrast between the north
and the south when he states, “It may seem
strange that any men should dare to ask a just
God's assistance in wringing their bread from
the sweat of other men's faces; but let us judge
not that we be not judged.”

Places Lincoln and the North on a superior level.
Second Inaugural

Lincoln continues with the ethereal theme as he
continues into the third paragraph.

He states that “the Almighty has His own purposes” and
further continues to state that God “having now
continued through His appointed time, He now wills to
remove.”

Lincoln suggests that “for it needs be that offenses
come” and both the North and South are required to
sacrifice through the war to compensate for the guilt of
slavery. However, he makes it known that the South
advocated the practice of slavery, while the North sought
to restrict its spread.
Second Inaugural

Though Lincoln takes a stance of non-judgment,
he makes it blatantly clear that the North is
morally superior to the “insurgents” of the
South.

Lincoln seemed to realize that the mere cause of
the Union was insufficient to justify the sacrifices
of so many, and thus he turned to slavery as the
sole cause of the war. Perhaps this provided
more internal justification than it did external.
Rhetorical Points

Across all three speeches, Lincoln seems to
move from minimizing the importance of the
issues at hand to highlighting the struggles and
moral dilemmas of the country at war.

He moves, respectively, from the basis of the
principles of the constitution, to the views of the
Declaration of Independence, to more personal,
moral principles.

Equality and Justice instilled in people