LAD #15- Lincoln's Second Inaugural

Lincoln stated that since his first inaugural speech was so lengthy, there was little that he still had to cover. Also, because of his frequented meetings with the public throughout his four year presidency, he had already addressed many of the issues he needed to. He knew as much about the progress of the war as the people did, and he believed that significant strides were being made. Four years prior, everyone knew that war was coming and they were preparing for it. Although neither party necessarily wanted war, it was almost inevitable and it came regardless. He mentioned that one eighth of the population was black slaves, and were mainly located in the South. Although the government only went so far as to forbid it in future territories, everyone knew that the well-being of these slaves was a great cause of the war. Neither side, however, predicted the length and the great extent of the war, and Lincoln hoped it could come to an end.