Epilogue Summary

The only other writing Lincoln did that equals the eloquence of the Gettysburg Address is his Second Inaugural Speech. Together the two give a clear picture of Lincoln's thinking about the meaning of the war and slavery. The Gettysburg Address gives a noble expression to the Civil War, but the Second Inaugural Speech is about Lincoln's objection to war on moral and human terms.

Lincoln himself served as an officer during the Black Hawk War in 1832. This experience took away any romantic notions he had about war. He talked about the evils of war frequently, and to Lincoln, even the American Revolution had a dark side. Lincoln wrote, "It breathed forth famine, swam in blood and rode on fire."

As a lawyer, Lincoln tried to settle legal disputes out of court. As a politician, Lincoln tried never to insult people, even when he...