changed,or if those beliefs are threatened with extinction,then they are not the same people they once were.We can act just like our parents, and we can say the exact same things we remember them saying.But if we do not remember how they thought or what they valued,we can never do what they did in gaining their independence.The resolve and the spirit of the Revolution were founded in the thoughts and minds of the people.What America was fighting for is what made the struggle for Independence significant.It is what made that struggle remembered.But now, eighty-seven years later,Americans are starting to forget the meaning of 1776.The southern half of the country has already not only rejected those past beliefs,but has continued to wage a war against them.Alexander Stephens,the Vice-President of the Confederacy and a former Whig and one-time friend of Lincoln,announced in March 1861,"Those ideas [found in the Declaration],however,were fundamentally wrong.They rested upon the assumption of the equality of the races.This was an error.It was a sandy foundation,and the idea of a government built upon it;when the storm came and the wind blew,it fell."38 The South has forgotten,but for justice to be done,it must be the sacred obligation of the northern half of the country to force themselves to remember why they are fighting. That is Lincoln's purpose with the Gettysburg Address-to remind the people what 1863 and 1776 have in common. If those fighting the Civil War do not remember the Revolution,they cannot win.They cannot win,as Lincoln will tell them two years later,"With malice toward none;with charity for all;with firmness in the right,as God gives us to see the righto bind up the nation's woundso do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace,among ourselves, and with all nations."39 The message of the Second Inaugural will not be manifest unless the people understand what is said at Gettysburg. Victory in battle has little meaning if we do not remember where we have come from and why we are fighting.Even if the war is won,and the south is forced into reconciliation,it will have no meaning unless those fighting in 1863 possess the same spirit as those who fought in 1776.An argument prevalent among the Southern ranks was that the Civil War was their "second war for independence."They believed that they were fighting for the same thing as they had long ago.Lincoln did not believe it,but he did know that a link did in fact exist between the two wars.The South had got it wrong.And the North was missing it. Lincoln is not necessarily trying to introduce the people to an idea that they have never heard before,for he knows that they all know it,but perhaps have only failed to remember it.To force us to remember it,as Lincoln is standing at Gettysburg in 1863,he takes us back away from that time and turns our minds to another object.He comes before the people
changed, or if those beliefs are threatened with extinction, then they are not the same people they once were. We can act just like our parents, and we can say the exact same things we remember them saying. But if we do not remember how they thought or what they valued, we can never do what they did in gaining their independence. The resolve and the spirit of the Revolution were founded in the thoughts and minds of the people. What America was fighting for is what made the struggle for Independence significant. It is what made that struggle remembered. But now, eighty-seven years later, Americans are starting to forget the meaning of 1776. The southern half of the country has already not only rejected those past beliefs, but has continued to wage a war against them. Alexander Stephens, the Vice-President of the Confederacy and a former Whig and one-time friend of Lincoln, announced in March 1861, "Those ideas [found in the Declaration], however, were fundamentally wrong. They rested upon the assumption of the equality of the races. This was an error. It was a sandy foundation, and the idea of a government built upon it; when the storm came and the wind blew, it fell." 38 The South has forgotten, but for justice to be done, it must be the sacred obligation of the northern half of the country to force themselves to remember why they are fighting. That is Lincoln's purpose with the Gettysburg Address—to remind the people what 1863 and 1776 have in common. If those fighting the Civil War do not remember the Revolution, they cannot win. They cannot win, as Lincoln will tell them two years later, "With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right 卼 o bind up the nation's wounds 卼 o do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations." 39 The message of the Second Inaugural will not be manifest unless the people understand what is said at Gettysburg. Victory in battle has little meaning if we do not remember where we have come from and why we are fighting. Even if the war is won, and the south is forced into reconciliation, it will have no meaning unless those fighting in 1863 possess the same spirit as those who fought in 1776. An argument prevalent among the Southern ranks was that the Civil War was their "second war for independence." They believed that they were fighting for the same thing as they had long ago. Lincoln did not believe it, but he did know that a link did in fact exist between the two wars. The South had got it wrong. And the North was missing it. Lincoln is not necessarily trying to introduce the people to an idea that they have never heard before, for he knows that they all know it, but perhaps have only failed to remember it. To force us to remember it, as Lincoln is standing at Gettysburg in 1863, he takes us back away from that time and turns our minds to another object. He comes before the people
who think he will talk about the current war.But he does not do that, and instead immediately starts talking about a war eighty-seven years old. He lays the Civil War aside for the moment and chooses instead to focus his efforts on examining the significance of the Revolution and sharing it with the people.But perhaps the two causes are not as far apart or as different as time makes them out to be. Lincoln begins by saying,"Four score and seven years ago."He does not say "Eighty seven years ago,"and he does not say "In 1776."There's a Biblical allusion here,back to Psalms 90,and Lincoln observes that the time since 1776 exceeds the period of the allotted lifetime of man.He uses the same language as the Psalm:"The days of our years are threescore years and ten;and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years,yet is their strength labour and sorrow;for it is soon cut off,and we fly away."40 The Founding generation has,for the most part,been cut off and flown away.They are gone,and the men of Lincoln's generation have taken their place.It is now up to them to reclaim,to refound,in 1863 what has been lost since the birth of the Union. What America is in danger of losing is the principle behind the Revolution. The principle in the Declaration of Independence,"that all men are created equal."During the Founding era,there did not exist one single individual in the North or the South who believed that the slave was not a human being and possessed the same unalienable rights as his white master. Even Alexander Stephens openly admits this fact in the Cornerstone Speech: This truth [the inequality of the negro]has been slow in the process of its development,like all other truths in the various departments of science.It has been so,even amongst us.Many who hear me,perhaps,can recollect well,that this truth was not generally admitted,even within their day.The errors of the past generation still clung to many as late as twenty years ago.Those at the North who still cling to these errors, with a zeal above knowledge,we justly denominate fanatics.41 Therefore,the equality principle in the Declaration was known by everyone and accepted by everyone at the time of the Founding and even "as late as twenty years"before the start of the Civil War.It united the men fighting for their independence in 1776 with a common strength,a shared purpose.They all believed it,and therefore fought vehemently to secure it.When Lincoln is standing in Gettysburg,however,the equality of man has been rejected by the South,and a war is being waged against that very principle.The principle behind the Revolution itself is currently at stake and,as an immediate consequence,threatens the very existence of the Union.Stephens again articulates the nature of that threat:
who think he will talk about the current war. But he does not do that, and instead immediately starts talking about a war eighty-seven years old. He lays the Civil War aside for the moment and chooses instead to focus his efforts on examining the significance of the Revolution and sharing it with the people. But perhaps the two causes are not as far apart or as different as time makes them out to be. Lincoln begins by saying, "Four score and seven years ago." He does not say "Eighty seven years ago," and he does not say "In 1776." There's a Biblical allusion here, back to Psalms 90, and Lincoln observes that the time since 1776 exceeds the period of the allotted lifetime of man. He uses the same language as the Psalm: "The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away." 40 The Founding generation has, for the most part, been cut off and flown away. They are gone, and the men of Lincoln's generation have taken their place. It is now up to them to reclaim, to refound, in 1863 what has been lost since the birth of the Union. What America is in danger of losing is the principle behind the Revolution. The principle in the Declaration of Independence, "that all men are created equal." During the Founding era, there did not exist one single individual in the North or the South who believed that the slave was not a human being and possessed the same unalienable rights as his white master. Even Alexander Stephens openly admits this fact in the Cornerstone Speech: This truth [the inequality of the negro] has been slow in the process of its development, like all other truths in the various departments of science. It has been so, even amongst us. Many who hear me, perhaps, can recollect well, that this truth was not generally admitted, even within their day. The errors of the past generation still clung to many as late as twenty years ago. Those at the North who still cling to these errors, with a zeal above knowledge, we justly denominate fanatics. 41 Therefore, the equality principle in the Declaration was known by everyone and accepted by everyone at the time of the Founding and even "as late as twenty years" before the start of the Civil War. It united the men fighting for their independence in 1776 with a common strength, a shared purpose. They all believed it, and therefore fought vehemently to secure it. When Lincoln is standing in Gettysburg, however, the equality of man has been rejected by the South, and a war is being waged against that very principle. The principle behind the Revolution itself is currently at stake and, as an immediate consequence, threatens the very existence of the Union. Stephens again articulates the nature of that threat: