Existing comment:
Abraham Lincoln: Rising Over Independence Hall:
First Principles:
It is February 22, 1861, and the sun has just risen over Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Thousands have gathered on this -- Washington's Birthday -- to watch President-elect Lincoln raise the flag of a nation whose very existence is in doubt. Something about the historical associations of Independence Hall inspired Lincoln to an eloquence beyond his previous whistle-stop rhetoric.
Hope to the World:
"It was not the mere matter of the separation of the colonies from the motherland; but something in that Declaration giving liberty, not alone to the people of this country, but hope to the world for all future times. It was that which gave promise that in due time the weights would be lifted from the shoulders of all men, and that all should have an equal chance." -- Abraham Lincoln at Independence Hall, February 22, 1861
Lincoln's Promise:
Lincoln concluded his speech with a promise of his own. "If this country cannot be saved without giving up that principle... I would rather be assassinated on this spot than to surrender it." |