Answer:
- The South would destroy the nation, but the North had to fight for the nation to survive.
Step-by-step explanation:
The 16th U.S. president Abraham Lincoln's second inaugural address in 1865 primarily aims to recapitulate the cause of war and the destruction brought by it was the consequence of 'divine retribution' towards pursuing a sin like slavery.
In the given quotation, he expresses the idea of 'South bringing destruction to the nation' as they not only possessed slavery but rather showed a retribution towards it which was the key cause of Civil War and now, the North had been fighting for the survival of the nation from this war.' Thus, he concludes by hoping to 'strive to..bind up these wounds.'