Lincoln As Scripture
I’m a regular news junkie, but even I don’t want to turn on the news these days. Unemployment, random shootings, more troops to fight a needless war. I’m sticking to the Food Network instead. In the past, I’ve read the Book of Mormon and the Bible for inspiration, for perspective. Sometimes it helps, but many times I can’t connect the dots from the lives of the ancient Jews to my life in 2009. Sometimes it’s hard for me to feel connected to events and people who lived thousands of years ago, so I turn to other sources. One of these sources is Abraham Lincoln’s address to the Young Men’s Lyceum in Springfield, Illinois. You may have read this speech in college or high school. I remember skimming through it in a long list of readings I had to catch up on for a midterm, and I wasn’t particularly focused on what Lincoln was saying or the magic of his words at that time. I rediscovered the speech a few years ago, and learned that Lincoln gave this speech at a time when the country was roiled in a vicious debate over slavery. Even though we may feel our country is falling apart (cue Glenn Beck’s tears), no other issue has been as destructive to our nation as the perpetuation of slavery. Lincoln’s speech to the Young Men is powerful and troubling, and he vividly describes the internal forces that would soon tear the young nation apart into a terrible civil war. Towards the end of his speech, Lincoln warns that in order to protect the democratic institutions created by our Founding Mothers and Fathers, our own collective reason must take precedence over our emotions and our passion. This is my favorite part of the speech, and I wanted to share it with you tonight:
They were the pillars of the temple of liberty; and now, that they have crumbled away, that temple must fall, unless we, their descendants, supply their places with other pillars, hewn from the solid quarry of sober reason. Passion has helped us; but can do so no more. It will in future be our enemy. Reason, cold, calculating, unimpassioned reason, must furnish all the materials for our future support and defence.–Let those materials be moulded into general intelligence, sound morality, and in particular, a reverence for the constitution and laws: and, that we improved to the last; that we remained free to the last; that we revered his name to the last; that, during his long sleep, we permitted no hostile foot to pass over or desecrate his resting place; shall be that which to learn the last trump shall awaken our Washington.
Upon these let the proud fabric of freedom rest, as the rock of its basis; and as truly as has been said of the only greater institution, “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
Great quote, E.
I still don’t think that the Book of Abe came from Egyptian papyrus.
Comment by Kaimi — November 10, 2009 @ 8:54 pm
Wonderful, ECS.
Comment by Lorian — November 10, 2009 @ 9:05 pm
Abe rocked his presidency. I’m a fan.
Comment by blue — November 10, 2009 @ 9:16 pm
And he wrote his own speeches. Just think.
Lincoln’s always been my favorite president. (Yes, I know he was racist, but no one’s perfect, and he still did a lot of good in spite of all his faults.)
Comment by A Paperback Writer — November 10, 2009 @ 9:18 pm
ahh…the innocent pre-spindoctor-days.
Comment by blue — November 10, 2009 @ 11:37 pm
Preaching to the choir. I love Abe. I have several books with his pearls of wisdom at my fingertips. I admired him as a president in grade school-for his accomplishments during an immensely difficult presidency. I loved his humbleness, humor and everlasting sense on decency. Later, as I learned more of his personal struggles, I put him in the position of an example of leading a productive life after failure and grief. He lost his mother, sister and fiancee. He repeatedly lost political elections and endured business vascillations. Still, he remained decent, kind and loyal to his friends. He had a nervous breakdown the year after Ann died- he couldn’t leave his bed for 6 months. I had lost my fiance too- he had also been my friend through childhood, like Lincoln’s Ann. Like him, I fell apart, from the inside out. Reading about his experience…how his friends had to pull him off Ann’s muddy grave- and how he said his heart was “buried with that dear girl”…how he struggled with chronic depression, yet, managed to lead an entire country through one of its darkest periods in history…well, I just love Abe and he’s literally responsible for helping me rebuild a life after losing someone so material to my personal happiness and well-being.
Comment by Kimberly — November 11, 2009 @ 9:35 am
This is definitely a great speech, but has little to do with slavery
Comment by Davis — November 11, 2009 @ 10:47 am
One of the best orators of all time. Thanks.
Comment by mmiles — November 11, 2009 @ 11:53 am