[ad_1]
President-elect Abraham Lincoln then addressed the New Jersey Legislature (first the state Senate and second the Assembly) on February 21, 1861. The president-elect noted that while the majority of New Jerseyans did not They voted for him, he and they Both loved the country.
“I consider myself welcomed here by the representatives of the people of New Jersey, most of whom differ in opinion from those with whom I have acted. Therefore, I must consider this demonstration as an expression of your devotion to the Union, the Constitution and the liberties of the people.”
He also spoke about the core of the nation’s character, expressed specifically by the sacrifice of those men who fought at the Battle of Trenton, and his own responsibility as a servant of God, in understanding the depth of exactly why they fought and ensuring the prosperity of USA. endurance.
“I am extremely anxious that this Union, the Constitution, and the liberties of the people be perpetuated in accordance with the original idea for which that struggle was made, and I will be very happy if I am a humble instrument in the struggle. hands of the Almighty.”
One of those heroes in Trenton, the commander of the Continental Army, was General George Washington, who would become the first president of the United States and served two terms before deciding not to run again.
“Citizens by birth or choice of a common country, that country has a right to concentrate its affections,” President Washington said in his farewell address. “The name American, which belongs to you in a national capacity, should always exalt the just pride of patriotism more than any name derived from local discrimination. With slight nuances of difference, you have the same religion, manners, habits and political principles. You have fought and triumphed together for a common cause. The independence and freedom that you possess are the work of joint advice and efforts, of common dangers, sufferings and successes.
“But these considerations, however powerful they may be to your sensibility, are greatly outweighed by those which apply more immediately to your interests. Here each part of our country finds the most important reasons to carefully guard and preserve the union of the whole.”
With those words in mind, here is the entirety of what Abe Lincoln said in New Jersey, speaking separately to each branch of the New Jersey legislature on its inaugural trip to Washington.
The speech before the Senate:
Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Senate of the State of New Jersey: I thank you very much for the honorable reception to which I have received. I can’t help but remember New Jersey’s place in our early history. At the beginning of the revolutionary struggle, few of the former Thirteen states had more of the country’s battlefields within their boundaries than the former New Jersey. Forgive me if on this occasion I mention that back in my childhood, in the early days of my ability to read, I got hold of a small book, one that few of the younger members have ever seen. “Weem’s life in Washington”. I remember all the stories that were given there about the battlefields and the fights for the country’s freedoms, and none stuck so deeply in my imagination as the fight here in Trenton, New Jersey. The river crossing; the dispute with the Hessians; The great hardships suffered at that time remained etched in my memory more than any revolutionary event; and you all know, because you have all been children, that these first impressions last longer than any other. I remember thinking then, even though I was, that there must be something more than ordinary that these men were fighting for; that something even more than National Independence; that something that represented a great promise for all the people of the world in the future; I am extremely anxious that this Union, the Constitution and the liberties of the people be perpetuated in accordance with the original idea for which that struggle was made, and I will be very happy if I am a humble instrument in the hands of the Almighty, and of this, his almost chosen people, for perpetuating the object of that great struggle. You give me this reception, as I understand it, without distinction of party. I learned that this body is composed of a majority of gentlemen who, in the exercise of their best judgment in choosing a Chief Magistrate, did not think that I was the right man. I understand, however, that you came here to greet me as the constitutional President of the United States, as citizens of the United States, to meet the man who, for the moment, is the representative man of the nation, united by a purpose to perpetuate the Union and the liberties of the people. As such, I accept this reception with more gratitude than I could accept if I believed it was offered to me as an individual.
To the Assembly:
Mr. Speaker and Gentlemen: I have just enjoyed the honor of a reception by the other branch of this Legislature, and I return to you and them my thanks for the reception that the people of New Jersey have given, through their elected representatives , to me, as representative, for the moment, of the majesty of the people of the United States. I take very little ownership of the signs of respect with which I have been received. I believe that little should be given to any man, except that it should be a manifestation of adherence to the Union and the Constitution. I consider myself welcomed here by the representatives of the people of New Jersey, most of whom differ in opinion from those with whom I have acted. Therefore, I consider that this demonstration expresses your devotion to the Union, the Constitution and the liberties of the people. You, Mr. President, have said well that we are at a time when the bravest and wisest look with doubt and amazement at the appearance of our national affairs. Under these circumstances you will easily understand why I should not speak in detail of the course which I consider best to follow. It is advisable that I take advantage of all the information and all the time that is at my disposal, so that when the time comes when I must speak officially, I can take the ground that I consider best and safest. and from which I will have no occasion to deviate. I will strive to bring the land that I consider fairest to the North, to the East, to the West, to the South and to the entire country. I take it, I hope, in good humour; certainly, without malice toward any section. I will do everything in my power to promote a peaceful solution to all our difficulties. There is no man who is more devoted to peace than me. None who would do more to preserve it. But it may take a firm step. And if I do my duty and do what is right, you will sustain me, won’t you? Welcomed, as I am, by the members of a Legislature the majority of whom do not agree with me in political sentiments, I trust that I can count on your help in piloting the ship of State along this voyage, surrounded by dangers as it is. ; for, if he were to suffer an attack now, no pilot would be needed for another voyage.
Gentlemen, I have already said more than I intended, and I must ask permission to stop here.
(Visited 336 times, 52 visits today)
[ad_2]
Source link