Blog #2

On November 19, 1863 Abraham Lincoln gave what is known today as one of the most famous speeches ever given (Basler). I remember back in eighth grade when we had to memorize parts of this speech, so it seems like it is very important. In this speech, Lincoln talks about the Civil War and about what people have done for our country to have the freedom we have. For example, he says "We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for
those who here gave their lives that that nation might live" and also "The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract" (Basler). I think that both of these quotes from the Gettysburg Address show that Abraham Lincoln feels strongly for freedom. This philosophy is one that is quite similar to a philosophy of Ralph Waldo Emerson, who also felt strongly about freedom. Emerson was a former slave so I think that his reaons are obvious for feeling so strongly about freedom. Abraham Lincoln talks about freedom in his speech when he says " -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- " (Basler). He is talking about how all of the men who gave their lives for this country did not die in vain because the outcome of it all will be freedom(Basler). Although I did notice a similar philosophy shared between Lincoln and Emerson, I believe that Lincoln and Thoreau have different views when it comes to government. In Lincoln's speech, he says " -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not
perish from the earth. " (Basler). I think what he means when he says this is that if the government is ran by the people, then it will not fail. On the other hand, in Thoreau's Civil Disobedience he says "After all, the practical reason why, when the power is once in the hands of the people, a majority are permitted, and for a long period continue, to rule, is not becausse they are most likely to be in the right, nor because this seems fairest to the minority, but because they are physically the strongest" (Lenant). From this passage I gathered that Thoreau felt that if a governemt is ruled by the people, everything is always going to go the way the stronger group wanted it to just simply because they were stronger, not right.

Bibliography

Basler, Roy P. "The Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln." NetINS Showcase. Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. Web. 08 Feb. 2012.

Lenant, Richard. "Thoreau's Civil Disobedience - 1." The Thoreau Reader. Web.