From: Anonymous Four
Date: 4/20/00
Time: 6:58:37 AM
Remote Name: 205.188.199.26
When President Lincoln was giving his speech, the status of the union was not good. There was heat coming from the north and south. The subject matter was fugitive slavery. The north believed in the abolishment of slavery, and the south however did not. When Lincoln was presenting his speech he clearly stated he did not want to interfere with the institution of slavery. But in the same breath he was stating how important it is for the citizens to uphold and uplift the law, being the constitution. I don't feel Lincoln was for slavery, I feel that he was really trying to be peaceful and fair for blacks and whites. The constitution states nothing about slavery, and how long a person can be enslaved, or how you can recapture the enslaved. Lincoln mentions this within his speech stating that if this is not the law, how can this law that is and was not part of the original law be enforced. I feel the north was with him, but as far as the south goes I think not. I feel as Lincoln was giving his speech, his remarks were conciliatory and confrontational. The reason I say this is because he states clearly what it is he is talking about, slavery. But he does it in such a fashion that he is really in my eyes letting the south know you are wrong, but still comes off in a professional manner. So he sort of had a mask on the speech, but still made his point very clearly. In my eyes Lincoln killed them with professionalism.