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Abraham Lincoln: Selected Speeches and Writings (Library of America Paperback Classics)

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This book chronicles not only texts of key speeches showing the evolution of Lincoln's view of slavery, but also insightful letters revealing some private thoughts of this shrewd railroad lawyer whose ambition propelled him to heights that made him the best President our Republic has ever seen. The 1838 Lyceum speech of Lincoln's youth gives stunning insight into that ambition. This book supports the notion that Lincoln was also the greatest writer to ever occupy the White House, revealing an impressive variety of literary styles, from meticulous legal argumentation to a dry, concise wit. In light of Lincoln's literary legacy, it is no wonder that each President since Woodrow Wilson has deemed the aid of professional speechwriters vital to their strategies. And even with the professional help the modern chief executives have gotten, Lincoln's rhetoric remains the most sublime of all our Presidents.

Abraham Lincoln is a giant in American history, but it wasn't until I read his speeches and writings that his wisdom and wit became apparent. This is a man born in the depths of poverty, and who climbed to the very top. The Gettysburg Address, largely ignored when it was first given, has risen to become one of the most profound, definite, and understood explanations of the American dream..."we will witness a new birth of freedom...that government ofthe people, by the people, and for the people will not perish from the earth..." God Bless Lincoln, and God Bless America.

Of all the folks in the storied history of this world of ours, Mr. Lincoln is the one I'd most like to have had the opportunity to meet....this book takes one as close as he or she can get to that imaginary event.

The musty, stoic Lincoln of folklore is brought to life in the pages of this book, and in the best way possible... through his own words. Abraham Lincoln, we discover through his letters and speeches, was first and foremost an intellectual: one can feel his pain as he writes poetry about homesickness and the loss of a close friend to mental illness; one can hear his enthusiasm as he discusses the history of communication and human progress, to such a degree that he goes off on fascinating tangents; one can detect barely-suppressed anger at pro-slavery activists who lynched an abolitionist in 1838, or at the hypocrisy of popular sovereignty when espoused by Stephen Douglas twenty years later. I refer to him here as an intellectual because the defining characteristic that underlies the majority of these letters is the way that Lincoln uses his mind to both understand and make his way through the world he occupied. One can see him exploring new ideas, contemplating contemporary events, attempting to formulate political strategies, and so on; his cerebral nature shines through every page. I can think of no better way to get to know one of our nation's three greatest presidents (along with George Washington and Franklin Roosevelt) than through the pages of this book.

After perusing the voluminous annals of Lincoln's writings, scholars and laymen alike are astounded by his ability to set forth his views with clarity and logic in an age noted for for oblique, flourished writing styles reminescent of 18th century dinner invitations from the Queen. We also marvel at his ability to convey complex thoughts and feelings in the style of an accomplished poet. He was indeed a master of the English language worthy of the high esteem for which he is remembered.

However, to my limited knowledge, no one has yet analyzed his writings from the perspective of his profession. He wrote in the style of the lawyer which he was to get the attention of impatient judges and juries who were likely illiterate. He had to appeal to people with little knowledge (including judges of the time), short attention spans, and do it in the least amount of time possible.

A good piece of legal writng is roughly divided into three parts. The first is a statement of the facts, the second an analysis of those facts in the context of applicable law and the third the conclusion (or, in the case of judges), a definitive holding. Lincoln consciously selected each word for a purpose and arranged his arguments in logically ordered paragraphs that ultimately supported, and persuaded others, to agree with his conclusion.

It does not take much time to observe his style just by flipping through the pages of Lincoln's speeches, letters and other writings set forth in the unadulterated versions set forth in the books published by the Library of America. Every piece of writing, including his short notes, begins with a strong topic sentence that sets forth the subject of the remainder of the paragraph without any wasted words. And each paragraph is arranged in an order to support the point he intendes to make. He keeps it simple and directs his writing to one single memorable point. One cannot mistake or misinterpret his ultimate conclusion. And he uses humor and twists of language to make his missives memorable. Neither judges nor juries could retire to contemplate a case without remembering something pleasantly unusual about his mastry of language, a talent that undoubtedly redounded to the benefit of his clients. He was very sucessful at what he did, both professionally and monetarily.

For decades children have memorized the Gettysburg Address and we have all admired the lofty and almost spiritual words of his Second Inaugral Address.

However, I have yet to see a careful analysis of Lincoln't First Inaugral Address and the astounding words he carefully crafted. The speech reads like a legal opinion but with a curious conclusion set forth in the topic sentence of the 13th paragraph. He wrote:

"I hold, that in contemplation of universal law, and of the Constitution, the union of these states is perpetual. Perpetuality is implied, if not expressed, in the fundamental law of all national governments".

That's it. The rest is a description of the nature of a union of states along with an appeal to the Southerners not to make rash decisions. ("Nothing valuable can be lost by taking time.")

When writing a holding of an opinion, judges most always set forth their strongest supporting reasons first and the "lesser" justifications thereafter. And Lincoln was no different.

Lincoln's best argument for his conclusion that the Union could not be dissolved was based on, as he stated, "Universal Law". I wonder how the scholars missed that one. Lincoln would never insert a "throw-away line", particularly when making such a monumental statement.

Academicians shy away from anything that could smack of religion or spirituality. They want "just the facts". And it is an undisputed fact that Lincoln was not a religous man, at least in the sense that he had no interest in any theology and never went to church. Perhaps scholars accept those facts only and disregard Lincoln's actual statement as filler material. At minimum, the fact is that scholars and students of Lincoln have never attempted to understand Lincoln's carefully chosen words.

It appears that Lincoln made his most important decisions while alone and only after hours, days, weeks, months or years of careful thought. Did he arrive at his conclusions solely by the careful application of traditional logic or did he simply wait and listen for an answer? And, if so, from whom?

It would indeed be an interesting adventure to read the Library of America's unadulterated speeches and writings of Lincoln and attmpt to discern what the better angels of his nature were and how he managed to connect with a level of kind forgiveness beyond his own self-taught understanding. Someone having more time and knowledge than me should take Lincoln at his literal word and investigate the meaning of what he said.

I bought this book as a gift for my husband who has been interested in Linclon ever since reading "Lincoln: The Unknown" by Dale Carnegie. Since receiving the book he has become interested in studying Lincoln's prose to improve his own written communication skills. I've read parts and it is truly fascinating---there are letters to his wife Mary Todd Lincoln and to other notable historical persons (and various others) that help us to see Mr. Lincoln as he really was---kind, clever, quick-witted, and intelligent.