Abraham Lincoln’s “A house Divided Speech”
Introduction
Abraham Lincoln used the, “A House Divided” speech in Springfield, Illinois to address the pressing issue of slavery, which if failed to be addressed would cause a crisis. He urged the nation to take a stand since the state of confusion would cause a rise in civil wars in the country. The country had already passed a law to abolish slavery but five years had passed and slavery had not yet ended. He continued further by urging those who oppose slavery should push it further to its extinction and those who advocate slavery push it forward till the nation agrees that its practice is legal. Slavery was intensifying between the north and south and something needed to be done. Lincoln used this speech to lay down the debate concerning slavery since he was against its practice in the united states, he also gave opinions on how to address this issue. This speech acted as a wakeup call to the people of the united states to take a stand on the issue of slavery.
He talks of how in the beginning of the year 1854 more than half the states were successful in excluding slavery in their state constitution. This was only possible through congressional prohibition. However, four days after new year this congressional prohibition was revoked and this made all national territory free to carry out slavery. This decision did not have any impact since the squatter sovereignty that gave territories power to decide whether they will enter the union as a slave free state or as a states supporting slave trade was still in place. The squatter sovereignty was incorporated into the Kansas-Nebraska bill that gave the people the right to enslave others by stating that no one shall have a right to question another man who chooses to enslave another. He viewed this clause as a perverted one since it gave one right to enslave another.
He continued further to elaborate the events that took place when the Kansas –Nebraska bill was in congress. When this bill was in congress a question involving the freedom of the Negros rose due to a law case of a Negro whose name was Dred Scot, he was a former slave who had lived in a slavery free state. He had gone to court to request citizenship so as to be guaranteed protection by the constitution. This law case was argued in the supreme court before the next presidential elections. This case was in the supreme court for a long time since the election were held and Mr. Buchanan was elected president. His inauguration passed and the supreme court had not yet decided, although president Buchanan advised the people to abide by whatever decision of the supreme court comes to.
A few days after Buchanan inauguration, the supreme court announced its decision which led to a conflict between Buchanan and an advocate of the Nebraska bill. This made the president to support the Republicans in their quest to abolish the second constitution of Kansas that agreed that a black man was not supposed to reside in Kansas and also protected slave holding. This constitution was known as the Lecompton constitution. He and the republicans campaigned for the right of the people to draft their own constitution.
In his speech, he tried to show that the decision that no slave imported from Africa and their descendants shall ever be a citizen of the country deprived the Negros privileges that are derived from being a citizen of a state. This decision was made after the Dred Scot case. He goes further to prove that this decision was not to stop slavery but to continue it because it denied territorial authority permission to restrict or exclude slavery from any of the states in the united states. Men got the opportunity to fill territories with slaves since the fear of losing them had been eliminated. He continues to prove that all rights had been taken away from the Negro since the courts of the united states were restricted from deciding the fate of a slave. This decision was left in the hands of the court of any slave free state. He talked about how the decision to let the people be subject of the constitution was not a picture of perfect freedom, but a picture of no freedom.
Lincoln used his speech to tell people that they have been deprived of their right to vote whether to exclude slavery or not on the basis that if this was allowed it would have ruined the Dred Scot decision. He tries to show that the decision on the Dred Scot case was withheld it was because it would have ruined the elections that were a definition of perfect freedom. He tries to show the conspiracy involved in making the Dred Scot decision that no slave living in a slave free state can be a citizen of the united states. This was a conspiracy because the new elected president urged people to abide by the decision of the supreme court even before it was made. He uses a quote to show how the former president who succeeded by Buchanan worked hand in hand with each other in the extension of slavery considering the former president made some comments on the Dred Scot case before Buchanan succeeded him.
He proves that when making the Dred Scot decision some issues were overlooked such as the fact that the constitution of the united states does not permit territorial authority the power to exclude from any state from slavery. the leading judge, chief justice Taney and all the other judges omit one declaration that the constitution allows the state to exclude slavery within its jurisdiction. He questioned how the states were controlled by the constitution of the united states to show that if ever a case similar to the Dred Scot case arose, the supreme court will make a decision again that the constitution does not allow a state to exclude slavery from its jurisdiction, yet the question on the amount of power the constitution of the united states has on the states is not answered.
He warns the people that they thought they were making their state free but they were not, he uses this speech to warn them that they shall be struck by the reality that the supreme court was making their state a slave state without their consent .he courage’s the people that for them to overthrown those rules placed on them by the supreme court, they should work then before their state is made a slave state .he discouraged the voting of his opponent Douglas since he believed that his opponent did not have any intentions of resisting the revival of the slave trade and for years he had supported slavery.
Lincoln went further to challenge the motives of his competitor and how he would help solve the issue of slavery since he had never shown interest of fighting it but rather encouraged it. He advised the people that they should entrust their cause in the hands of the people with the same interest at heart and mind but not in the hands of those who do not care of the outcomes. He is urging the people not to give up on the fight against slavery before they achieve complete abolishment of it in the united states. He encourages them to stay firm in the face of opposition from leaders such as Douglas who might divert them from their cause. He encourages them further that he has faith that they will succeed but only if they will stand firm and vote for wise council that is needed to accelerate their victory.
Conclusion
The “A House Divided “speech gave Lincoln an opportunity to air his concerns and fears of what would happen if the issue of slavery was not properly addressed. This speech helped him to show how the supreme court was denying rights to slave free slave states. It helped him encourage people to stand united in the fight to abolish slavery in the united states. It also it gave an opportunity to paint a true picture of how the leaders were working together for the extension of slavery. He urges the people to remain firm and finally they will have their long awaited victory.
Work cited
Mackey, Thomas C. Documentary History of the American Civil War Era: Volume 2., 2013.
Internet resource.
