Question

Read the following quote from President Lincoln’s second inaugural address delivered on March 4, 1865.

With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan-to do all which may achieve and cherish a just, and a lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations.
Which of the following conclusions can accurately be drawn from this quote?
Abraham Lincoln believed that Union troops should do whatever was necessary to win the war.
Abraham Lincoln believed that the war was necessary in order to preserve the Union.
Abraham Lincoln believed that only Confederate widows and orphans should be readmitted to the Union.
Abraham Lincoln believed that the reformation of the Union was the most important objective of his presidency.

Answer 1

Lincoln used his Second Inaugural Address to touch on the question of Divine providence. He wondered what God's will might have been in allowing the war to come, and why it had assumed the terrible dimensions it had taken. He endeavored to address some of these dilemmas, using allusions taken from the Bible.

Lincoln reiterates the cause of the war, slavery, in saying "slaves constituted a peculiar and powerful interest. All knew that this interest was somehow the cause of the war".

Answer 2

Abraham Lincoln believed that the reformation of the Union was the most important objective of his presidency.

Step-by-step explanation:

This is the conclusion that can be drawn from this quote. In these lines, Lincoln states that, since the war is over, it is time to heal the wounds that the Union has suffered. Therefore, it is now necessary to welcome the Confederacy with a charitable and kind spirit. He urges people to remember that the people from the South have also suffered greatly, and that many widows and orphans need their help. This shows that Lincoln thought the reformation of the Union was of vital importance.