Abraham Lincoln: The Gettysburg Address (1863)

“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war; testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. 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. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate --- we can not consecrate --- we can not hallow --- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here … that we here highly resolve that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of Freedom --- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

President Abraham Lincoln is addressing the nation in this speech, during the Civil War, expressing the battle of the soldiers. He is asking the nation that they should remember everything that has been done, to claim freedom. The President is preaching that these young men have given their lives for the nation. He mentions the Declaration of Independence, with the regards of equality, that all men are created equal in the new nation. Lincoln with this speech is explaining that the war was for freedom, which would bring equality, as he mentions towards the end, that government of the people should be by the people, for the people and that it would always be as such.

I choose this quote because it seems that every president, and its government starts off the right way, they use the Declaration of Independence as there lead into equality and all men are created equal, yet somehow it falls under rather quickly giving the advantage to few rather that to the people of the nation. I do like the fact that he asks the nation to remember those fallen soldiers, which should always be mentioned, because they have given their lives to defend this nation, just as recent years, even without reasonable cause. It’s just sad to see that government does not follow that simple order Lincoln spoke about at the end, the government of people those rightfully chosen, by the people, for the people the nation. If they would think about the benefit of the whole nation rather that a portion, the nation would be a better place.