Wednesday, December 16, 2015

A speech for our times by President Abraham Lincoln:

The following speech was one I heard by Abraham Lincoln while at Disneyland recently. I looked for it online, and here it is. It's a compilation of many of his speeches. I compared him to a certain person in the limelight lately whose name begins with a T and ends with a P and found there is no comparison with him and Lincoln; none whatsoever. The 3rd paragraph down outlining "danger" especially resonated with me now in 2015.


The world has never had a good definition of the word liberty, and the American people, just now, are much in want of one. We all declare for liberty; but in using the same word we do not all mean the same thing.
What constitutes the bulwark of our liberty and independence? It is not our frowning embattlements, our bristling sea coasts. These are not our reliance against tyranny. Our reliance is in the love of liberty, which God has planted in our bosoms. Our defense is in the preservation of the spirit which prizes liberty as the heritage of all men, in all lands everywhere. Destroy this spirit, and you have planted the seeds of despotism around your own doors.
At what point shall we expect the approach of danger? By what means shall we fortify against it? Shall we expect some trans-Atlantic military giant to step the ocean and crush us at a blow? Never! All the armies of Europe, Asia, and Africa combined could not, by force, take a drink from the Ohio or make a track on the Blue Ridge in a trial of a thousand years. At what point, then, is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, [that] if it ever reach us, it must spring [from] amongst us; it cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we [ourselves must] be [the] author[s] and finisher[s]. As a nation of free men, we must live through all time[s], or die by suicide.
Let reverence for the [law] be breathed by every American mother to the lisping babe that prattles on her lap; let it be taught in schools, in seminaries, and in colleges; let it be written in primers, [in] spelling-books, and almanacs; let it be preached from the pulpit, proclaimed in legislative halls, and enforced in courts of justice. And, in short, let it become the political religion of the nation; and let the old and the young, the rich and the poor, the grave and the gay of all sexes and tongues and colors and conditions, sacrifice unceasingly [at] its altars.
[And] let us strive to deserve, as far as mortals may, the continued care of Divine Providence, trusting that, in future national emergencies, He will not fail to provide us the instruments of safety and security.
Neither let us be slandered from our duty by false accusations against us, nor frightened from it by [the] menaces of destruction to the Government nor of dungeons to ourselves. Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it.
—Abraham Lincoln

2 comments:

Betty said...

Poor Abraham Lincoln is rolling over in his grave watching politics in America today. If one of my sons was in the 8th grade and running for class president I would be horrified if he called his opponents stupid. I believe most people would never tolerate their child being so rude and disrespectful. I don't know who I'll vote for...I only know who definitely won't get my vote.

Loretta said...

Betty, thank you for commenting with your common sense on my humble little blog. I am astounded at politics in 2015. I am amazed at the rudeness of comments, and the utter lack of feeling by the candidate. I'm also amazed the man is allowed to keep running in the election race and hasn't been booted out.