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Posted on 07/05/2026 8:05:42 AM PDT by Twotone
When Abraham Lincoln delivered his second inaugural address on March 4, 1865 the Civil War was nearly over. After recalling the circumstances of his first inaugural address, given precisely four years earlier and just before the nation fell into civil war, he told the crowd with characteristic understatement that "the progress of our arms...is as well known to the public as to myself; and it is, I trust, reasonably satisfactory and encouraging to all."
After the issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation two years previous and the passing of the Thirteenth Amendment outlawing slavery by the House of Representatives just two months earlier, he observed to the crowd outside the East Portico of the Capitol Building that neither side fighting the war "anticipated that the cause of the conflict might cease with, or even before, the conflict itself should cease."
Lincoln, as religious as any man at the time though unsubscribed to any particular religion, wondered that while both sides "read the same Bible, and pray to the same God; and each invokes His aid against the other...the prayers of both could not be answered; that of neither has been answered fully."
It was an admission that while the nightmare of the Civil War was nearly over, the business of his second administration would be the more difficult one of restoring unity to the country and rebuilding the devastated South while navigating everyone into a future without slavery – a future that many of them, whether Confederate or abolitionist, doubted they would see in their lifetimes.
As for Abraham Lincoln, his lifetime would end just over a month from that day in March.
(Excerpt) Read more at steynonline.com ...
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The modern day Slavery of SNAP, Section 8, Medicaid ad infinitum is far more effective a deterrent to useful work than was slavery, a horrible economic model all by itself.
Funny how American students are never taught that so-called “native Americans” were allowed to continue to hold slaves even after the emancipation proclamation.
DDL as Lincoln Is simply one of the greatest performances ever. In fact, you can’t even see the performance.
The defeated Democrats managed to imagine and institute and new, more sinister, form of the plantation. This, coupled with Sanger’s assistance, has devastated the black community more than slavery ever could have.
Canadian Raymond Massey was the best actor to play Lincoln. Massey was in “Abe Lincoln in Illinois” on Broadway in 1938-1930 and then the 1940 movie. He also played Lincoln in “The Day Lincoln Was Shot” (1956), and “How the West Was Won” (1962). Massey played the father of John Wilkes Booth in “ Prince of Players” (1955). He played John Brown in “Santa Fe Trail” (1940) and “Seven Angry Men” (1955).
Walter Huston played Lincoln in DW Griffith’s “Lincoln” (1930).
Henry Fonda played Lincoln in “Young Mr Lincoln” (1939).
Hal Holbrook played Lincoln in the 1974 miniseries “Lincoln” and the 1985 miniseries “North and South”.
Walt Disney personally selected character actor Royal Dano to voice the Abraham Lincoln figure for “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln” at the 1964 New York World’s Fair. Dano’s historic voice recording was subsequently used for the “Hall of Presidents” at Walt Disney World and remains a cornerstone of the Disneyland attraction today.
IMDB lists 22 actors that have played Lincoln:
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls074526073/
Massey was in “Abe Lincoln in Illinois” on Broadway in 1938-1939.
“Funny how American students are never taught that so-called “native Americans” were allowed to continue to hold slaves even after the emancipation proclamation.”
Some were. Chief John Ross sided with the union and was allowed to keep slaves. The Southern Cherokee fighting for the Confederacy couldn’t.
Stand Watie and his band of Cherokee Braves went to the Ross Plantation after Ross was given sanctuary in the North, and burned the mansion and killed the slaves..
https://jesusweptanamericanstory.blogspot.com/?m=1
LINCOLN: (hollering!) "Come on out, you old rat!" (Everyone's startled, and confused. They all turn to Lincoln, who sits in Major Eckert's chair, wrapped in his shawl.) That's what Ethan Allen called to the commander of Fort Ticonderoga in 1776. "Come on out, you old rat!" `Course there were only forty- odd redcoats at Ticonderoga. But, but there is one Ethan Allen story that I'm very partial to -
STANTON: (Outraged) No! No, you're, you're going to tell a story!
I don't believe that I can bear to listen to another one of your stories right now! (Stanton stalks out, shouting down the corridor as he goes). I need the B&O sideyard schedules for Alexandria! I asked for them this morning!
LINCOLN: (Lincoln pays no attention to Stanton's fulminations and continues with his story.) It was right after the Revolution, right after peace had been concluded, and Ethan Allen went to London to help our new country conduct its business with the king.
The English sneered at how rough we are, and rude and simple-minded and on like that, everywhere he went, till one day he was invited to the townhouse of a great English lord. Dinner was served, beverages imbibed, time passed, as happens, and Mr. Allen found he needed the privy. He was grateful to be directed thence - relieved you might say. (Everyone laughs) 
Now, Mr. Allen discovered on entering the water closet that the only decoration therein was a portrait of George Washington. Ethan Allen done what he came to do and returned to the drawing room.
His host and the others were disappointed when he didn't mention Washington's portrait. And finally His Lordship couldn't resist, and asked Mr. Allen had he noticed it, the picture of Washington. He had. Well, what did he think of its placement, did it seem appropriately located to Mr. Allen?
Mr. Allen said it did. His host was astounded! Appropriate? George Washington's likeness in a water closet? Yes, said Mr. Allen, where it'll do good service: the whole world knows nothing'll make an Englishman sh*t quicker than the sight of George Washington. (Everyone laughs). I love that story!
There are those (even on our side) that want to disparage some of our greatest, for whatever reason. No man is perfect & imperfect things are done, particularly in war. Lincoln is no exception to that simple fact.
But he is, in fact, one of our greatest presidents.
That is 100% as true a statement as ever posted on this forum.
Mark gets a C grade on this effort.
The 13th Amendment outlawing slavery didn’t become law until December 1865, months after Lincoln’s death.
Lincoln’s law partner William Herndon and his bodyguard Ward Lamon, both of whom knew Lincoln very well, “defended” Lincoln against the claim that he was religious. They wrote that he was an unbelieving skeptic just like they were.
One of them said that Lincoln mocked preachers and had written a short book that did the same. They knew that a book like that would kill his political ambitions and they kept him from carrying through with getting it printed.
The movie reviews are actually written by Rick McGinnis, not Mark Steyn. From what I’ve read, Lincoln was a believer, although he maybe came to it late. A quick search with AI...
Yes, Abraham Lincoln believed in God, though his faith evolved from youthful skepticism to a deep, personal spirituality. While he frequently read the Bible and often expressed reliance on Divine providence, he never formally joined a church, and historians still debate whether he was an orthodox Christian.
Lincoln avoided dogma and sectarian arguments. Instead, he embraced a concept of Providence and Divine justice, particularly evident in later speeches like his Second Inaugural Address, where he profoundly wrestled with the will of God in the context of American slavery and the Civil War.
Another interesting link that popped up in my search..Lincoln’s Civil Religion:
https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/essays/lincolns-civil-religion
Mark gets an A
He wrote passed by congress not when ratified by states
Take the time to read the bio of Brig. Gen’l. James Johnston Pettigrew, CSA at Gettysburg on July 3, 1863 as to the possible perfection of a true leader, whose birthday was July 4th and was then 35 years old,killed leading the last unit to cross the Potomac after the battle, on July 14th dying on the 17th. An example of what the nation lost:
https://www.ncpedia.org/biography/pettigrew-james-johnston
An amazing quite short and brilliant life. Who did not support slavery but did support his state.
On July 4th Independence Day thoughts of Thomas Jefferson’s brilliant writing (edited by Franklin & Adams) in our Declaration of Independence from the worlds largest Empire.
Thomas Jefferson’s and John Adam’s deaths on the same 4th of July in 1826- Jefferson at noon, Adams several hours later with last words said to be inarticulate save for “Thomas Jefferson”
And, sadly- of J. Johnston Pettigru (Huguenot ancestry).
Wow! Fascinating individual. My already long reading list just got longer.
Another fantastic performance by Daniel Day Lewis. The script, however, was flawed.
No slaves were freed by the 13th Amendment and its passage was never in doubt.
By the time the Congress debated the 13th Amendment, all slaves in the states in rebellion were freed by the Emancipation Proclamation (issued by Lincoln as commander in chief).
The controversy regarding the 13th Amendment was compensation for any remaining slaves in the loyal slave states. The Democrats wanted the federal government to offer compensation to slave owners in those states as had been offered by the federal government to slave owners in D.C. There was NO controversy in the Congress over ending slavery.
As a practical matter, the slaves in the loyal slaves states were also freed by the Emancipation Proclamation. The signing bonus went their owners, if they joined the Union army. The emancipation proclamation was, therefore, a form of compensated emancipation.
Just remember the following lyrics from “The Battle Cry of Freedom:”
And we’ll fill our vacant ranks with a million freemen more
Shouting the battle cry of freedom!
Maryland and Kentucky, as states, also ended slavery. This effectively leaves Delaware. Delaware wanted slave owners to be responsible for the few remaining slaves within the state, all of whom were old, rather then see them go into the poor houses of their counties and become wards of the state.
The problem is that the complicated picture I described above doesn’t make good drama.
No, DDL is the greatest to play Lincoln, by far.
Are we still required to worship this man?
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