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"A house divided against itselfcannot stand." I believe this government cannot endure permanently, halfslave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved,--I donot expect the house to fall; but I do expect it will cease to bedivided. Either theopponents of slavery will arrest the further spread of it, and place itwhere the public mind shall rest in the belief that it is in the courseof ultimate extinction; or its advocates will push it forward till itshall become alike lawful in all the States, old as well as new, Northas well as South.
Lincoln’s ‘House Divided’ speech teaches important lessons about today’s political polarization
Let any one who doubts, carefully contemplate that now almost complete legal combination -- piece of machinery so to speak -- compounded of the Nebraska doctrine, and the Dred Scott decision. Let him consider not only what work the machinery is adapted to do, and how well adapted; but also, let him study the history of its construction, and trace, if he can, or rather fail, if he can, to trace the evidence of design and concert of action, among its chief architects, from the beginning. [63] They remind us that he is a very great man, and that the largest of us are very small ones. But “a living dog is better than a dead lion.” Judge Douglas, if not a dead lion forthis work,is at least a caged and toothless one. His avowed mission is impressing the “public heart” to care nothing about it.
Dred Scott and Disunion
Two Republicans in the Arizona House of Representatives and two in the Senate would have to join all of both chambers’ Democrats to repeal the ban, which could take effect as early as June 8 without legislative action. If the legislature agrees to repeal the 1864 ban, the current law banning abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy prevails, legislative staffers and lawmakers said. In a nearly two-hour speech at Sorbonne University in Paris, Macron said that the continent is divided and “too slow and lacks ambition” at a time when the 27-member European Union needs to become a superpower, defend its own borders and speak with one voice if it wants to survive and thrive.
Abraham Lincoln
[28] The new President, too, seizes the early occasion of the Silliman letter to indorse and strongly construe that decision, and to express his astonishment that any different view had ever been entertained. [24] The Supreme Court met again; did not announce their decision, but ordered a re-argument. [15] But, so far, Congress only, had acted; and an indorsement by the people, real or apparent, was indispensable, to save the point already gained, and give chance for more. [4] In my opinion, it will not cease, until a crisis shall have been reached, and passed. Abraham Lincoln delivered this speech when he accepted the Illinois Republican Party's nomination to run for the US Senate against Stephen A. Douglas -- a race that he would go on to lose.
Questions for Discussion
Lincoln implicates his opponent, Stephen Douglas, and outgoingpresident Franklin Pierce, the co-authors of the Kansas-Nebraska Act, as wellas incoming president James Buchanan and the Supreme Court in the allegedcorruption. He posits that a proposed amendment to the Kansas-Nebraska Act,which would have allowed residents to vote to ban slavery in their states orterritories, was intentionally voted down by lawmakers in anticipation of theDred Scott decision. The passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the Dred Scottdecision were a significant boon to the pro-slavery cause.
Causes of the Civil War
Can he possibly show that it is less a sacred right to buy them where they can be brought cheapest? And, unquestionably they can be bought cheaper in Africa than in Virginia.He has done all in his power to reduce the whole question of slavery to one of a mere right of property; and as such, how can he oppose the foreign slave trade-how can he refuse that trade in that "property" shall be "perfectly free"-unless he does it as a protection to the home production? And as the home producers will probably not ask the protection, he will be wholly without a ground of opposition.
They do not tell us, nor has he told us, that he wishes any such object to be effected. They wish us to infer all, from the facts, that he now has a little quarrel with the present head of the dynasty; and that he has regularly voted with us, on a single point, upon which, he and we, have never differed.They remind us that he is a great man, and that the largest of us are very small ones. But "a living dog is better than a dead lion." Judge Douglas, if not a dead lion for this work, is at least a caged and toothless one. His avowed mission is impressing the "public heart" to care nothing about it.A leading Douglas Democratic newspaper thinks Douglas' superior talent will be needed to resist the revival of the African slave trade.Does Douglas believe an effort to revive that trade is approaching? For years he has labored to prove it a sacred right of white men to take negro slaves into the new territories.
Lincoln reminds hisaudience that these new precedents mean that Illinois, long protected by theMissouri Compromise, could conceivably become a slave state. When he states that “A house divided against itself cannot stand,” he isalluding to verses found in the biblical books of Matthew, Mark, and Luke.While he does not expect the United States to dissolve, he does believe thecurrent situation, with some states permitting slavery and others prohibitingit, cannot continue. Lincoln points out that while the idea of “squattersovereignty” might appear to be informed by ideals of self-government, theKansas-Nebraska Act actually created a situation where slaveowners cantransport slaves anywhere they wish.
"A record of the personal services of our American women in the late Civil War"
For years he has labored to prove it a sacredright of white men to take negro slaves into the new territories. And, unquestionably they can be bought cheaper in Africa than in Virginia. [62] There are those who denounce us openly to their own friends, and yet whisper us softly, that Senator Douglas is the aptest instrument there is, with which to effect that object.
He has done all in his power to reduce the whole question of slavery to one of a mere right of property; and as such, how can he oppose the foreign slave-trade? How can he refuse that trade in that "property" shall be "perfectly free," unless he does it as a protection to the home production? At length a squabble springs up between the President and the author of the Nebraska Bill, on the mere question of fact, whether the Lecompton constitution was or was not in any just sense made by the people of Kansas; and in that quarrel the latter declares that all he wants is a fair vote for the people, and that he cares not whether slavery be voted down or voted up.
Whenever, if ever, he and we can come together on principle so that our great cause may have assistance from his great ability, I hope to have interposed no adventitious obstacle. But clearly, he is not now with us—he does not pretend to be—he does not promise ever to be. “Douglas had been seeking a middle ground between North and South, some way of comprising on the slavery issue,” says Eric Foner, a history professor at Columbia University who has written several books about slavery and the Civil War. I believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free.
Yet he also has criticized the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, for mounting civilian deaths in Gaza and told him that future US aid depends on Israel taking steps to protect civilians. “I’m not going to weigh in on processes happening at Morehouse, but he looks forward to going there and celebrating with the graduates,” he added. By Tuesday afternoon, some Morehouse alumni were circulating an online letter that condemns the administration’s invitation to Biden and seeking signatures to pressure Morehouse’s president, David Thomas, to rescind it. Joe Biden will be the commencement speaker at Morehouse College in Georgia, giving the Democrat a key spotlight at one of the nation’s pre-eminent historically Black campuses but potentially exposing him to uncomfortable protests as he seeks re-election against Donald Trump. Our cause, then, must be entrusted to, and conducted by, its own undoubted friends—those whose hands are free, whose hearts are in the work—who do care for the result. The outgoing president,[9] in his last annual message, as impressively as possible echoed back upon the people the weight and authority of the endorsement.
A house divided cannot stand - MDedge
A house divided cannot stand.
Posted: Wed, 10 Nov 2021 08:00:00 GMT [source]
The presidential inauguration came, and still no decision of the court; but the incoming President in his inaugural address fervently exhorted the people to abide by the forthcoming decision, whatever it might be. Still, Lincoln emerged from the campaign as a prominent political figure. Not many people heard about his “house divided” address when he first gave it, but over the next several months, he publicly spread his argument through campaign speeches and his famous series of debates with Douglas. Why even a Senator's individual opinion withheld, till after the presidential election? Plainly enough now, the speaking out then would have damaged the "perfectly free" argument upon which the election was to be carried. Why was the amendment, expressly declaring the right of the people to exclude slavery, voted down?
[19] “But,” said opposition members, “let us be more specific – let us amend the bill so as to expressly declare that the people of the territory may exclude slavery.” “Not we,” said the friends of the measure, and down they voted the amendment. We cannot absolutely know that all these adaptations are the result ofpreconcert. We cannot absolutely know that all these exact adaptations are the result of preconcert. And this may especially be expected if the doctrine of “care not whether slavery be voted down or voted up,” shall gain upon the public mind sufficiently to give promise that such a decision can be maintained when made.
That "subject to the Constitution of the United States,"neither Congress nor a territorial legislature can exclude slavery fromany United States Territory. This point is made in order that individualmen may fill up the Territories with slaves, without danger of losingthem as property, and thus enhance the chances of permanency to theinstitution through all the future.Thirdly. That whether the holding a negro in actual slavery in a freeState makes him free as against the holder, the United States Courtswill not decide, but will leave to be decided by the courts of any slaveState the negro may be forced into by the master. There are those who denounce us openly to their own friends, and yet whisper us softly that Senator Douglas is the aptest instrument there is with which to effect that object.
But, so far, Congress only had acted; and an indorsement by the people, real or apparent, was indispensable, to save the point already gained, and give chance for more. Read the document introduction, examine the transcript, and apply your knowledge of American history in order to answer the questions that follow. I believe this government can not endure permanently, half slave, and half free. These ideas have been lost in social and political debates today, which are dominated by competing party agendas and talk of irreconcilable “red” and “blue” state mentalities. The metaphor of a house emphasizes interdependence, cooperation and shared purpose. It asks how citizens might build and maintain something together, despite natural differences, rather than live and work separately.
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