Senate candidate Abraham Lincoln, gave his "House Divided" speech to let the people of America know that being split down the middle based on beliefs on the morality of slavery would not last long, and that eventually the nation would be all one ideal or all another.
The entirety of Lincoln's speech is based on a a specific quote from Matthew 12:25 in the Bible, in which Jesus says, "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand." By doing this, Lincoln hopes to establish credibility in whatever comes next in his speech, because it's basis is the Bible. However, Lincoln does not use the quote in the way that is expected. The quote could have easily been used to warn the nation of it's demise if it doesn't figure out which way that it should lean when it came to slavery, but Lincoln immediately states that he does not expect the Union to dissolve, or fall. He believes that America is strong enough to stay standing, but only because slavery will either be legal and practiced everywhere, or cease to exist anywhere. The rest of the speech is Lincoln proving that it seems to be the former. It is structured logically, as he uses a series of proofs, including the Dred Scott decision and the Nebraska Bill, to back up his initial claim. In presenting his reasoning, it is clear that his audience is not southerners who support slavery. His speech would not bother them at all, because what he is saying will happen is what they want to happen. Instead, Lincoln is speaking to people of the North, who do not believe in slavery. He hopes to show them the magnitude and importance of the coming choice of the United States. He does not just use the threat of slavery everywhere to do this, but he threatens their sovereignty. "Under the Dred Scott decision, "squatter sovereignty" squatted out of existence, tumbled down like temporary scaffolding; like the mold at the foundry, served through one blast and fell back into loose sand; helped to carry an election and then was kicked to the winds." In this quote he paints and extremely vivid picture with his use of similes and metaphors in order to make his message apparent in the minds of the people. Later on in the speech, Lincoln comes to the conclusion that the nation leaning this way is not by chance. He accuses "Stephen, Franklin, Roger and James", all different workmen, of working together to push the country into a decision without the real consent of the country.
In this speech, Lincoln starts off by laying out what he believes is the undeniable fact that the nation will lean one way or another on the issue of slavery, and after a series of proofs and eye-opening reasoning, Lincoln leaves the listener with many thoughts, but I believe the biggest impression that Lincoln leaves is this: America is going to lean completely one direction or another when it comes to slavery, make sure it is the direction you want.
The entirety of Lincoln's speech is based on a a specific quote from Matthew 12:25 in the Bible, in which Jesus says, "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand." By doing this, Lincoln hopes to establish credibility in whatever comes next in his speech, because it's basis is the Bible. However, Lincoln does not use the quote in the way that is expected. The quote could have easily been used to warn the nation of it's demise if it doesn't figure out which way that it should lean when it came to slavery, but Lincoln immediately states that he does not expect the Union to dissolve, or fall. He believes that America is strong enough to stay standing, but only because slavery will either be legal and practiced everywhere, or cease to exist anywhere. The rest of the speech is Lincoln proving that it seems to be the former. It is structured logically, as he uses a series of proofs, including the Dred Scott decision and the Nebraska Bill, to back up his initial claim. In presenting his reasoning, it is clear that his audience is not southerners who support slavery. His speech would not bother them at all, because what he is saying will happen is what they want to happen. Instead, Lincoln is speaking to people of the North, who do not believe in slavery. He hopes to show them the magnitude and importance of the coming choice of the United States. He does not just use the threat of slavery everywhere to do this, but he threatens their sovereignty. "Under the Dred Scott decision, "squatter sovereignty" squatted out of existence, tumbled down like temporary scaffolding; like the mold at the foundry, served through one blast and fell back into loose sand; helped to carry an election and then was kicked to the winds." In this quote he paints and extremely vivid picture with his use of similes and metaphors in order to make his message apparent in the minds of the people. Later on in the speech, Lincoln comes to the conclusion that the nation leaning this way is not by chance. He accuses "Stephen, Franklin, Roger and James", all different workmen, of working together to push the country into a decision without the real consent of the country.
In this speech, Lincoln starts off by laying out what he believes is the undeniable fact that the nation will lean one way or another on the issue of slavery, and after a series of proofs and eye-opening reasoning, Lincoln leaves the listener with many thoughts, but I believe the biggest impression that Lincoln leaves is this: America is going to lean completely one direction or another when it comes to slavery, make sure it is the direction you want.