Rhetorical Analysis Of Lincoln's Inaugural Address

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In the beginning of Lincoln’s inaugural address, he mentions the issues in the South by saying, “Apprehension seems to exist among the people of the Southern States that by the accession of a Republican Administration their property and their peace and personal security are to be endangered.” He then refutes their uprising by saying it is not at all justified. However, to keep the peace he claims he will not remove or institute more slavery. He reminds his audience that he keeps the promises he made previous to his election. He also emphasizes the importance of unity among the states with his phrase, “We denounce the lawless invasion by armed force of the soil of any State or Territory, no matter what pretext, as among the gravest of crimes.” He also reassures the Southern states by stating he will not revoke the Fugitive Slave Act …show more content…
He brings in evidence from the Articles of Association in 1774, Declaration of Independence in 1776, and Articles of Confederation in 1778 to prove his point. He relates the Constitution to a “contract”, so all the states in this contract must all decide to split up, otherwise the Constitution would be violated. He states, “Plainly the central idea of secession is the essence of anarchy.” He even addresses the geographical problems with dividing the country with “Physically speaking, we can not separate. We can not remove our respective sections from each other nor build an impassable wall between them.” He gives the South the chance to peacefully come back to the Union saying, “We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection.” He recalls the bonds of brotherhood formed through other wars and eagerly pushes them to
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