Question

"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."
-Abraham Lincoln
Second Inaugural Address (unshortened)
March 4, 1865
In this final sentence of his Second Inaugural Address, what is President Lincoln calling on people to
do? What specific words from this passage help you to know this?

Answer 1

The first eight words of Lincoln's last paragraph proclaim an enduring promise of reconciliation "bind up the nation's wounds" caused by the Civil War and to move toward a lasting peace. In his inaugural address, Lincoln promised not to interfere with the institution of slavery where it existed, and pledged to suspend the activities of the federal government temporarily in areas of hostility. The main point of Lincoln's second inaugural address was to claim that both the South and North had to share some of the blame for the sin of slavery. Throughout the address, Lincoln doesn't talk about retribution or punishment; themes that were expected by many in the North. Instead, he calls for peace among all Americans.

Step-by-step explanation: