(PEOPLE CHATTERING)
- TONIGHT, ONE OF THE FINE ARTISTS
OF OUR COUNTRY, HAL HOLBROOK,
THE BRILLIANT INTERPRETER OF ABE LINCOLN
OFFERS LINCOLN'S SECOND INAUGURAL SPEECH.
(AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)
- FELLOW COUNTRYMEN AT THIS SECOND APPEARING
TO TAKE THE OATH OF THE PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE.
THERE IS LESS OCCASION FOR AN EXTENDED ADDRESS
THAN THEIR WAS AT THE FIRST.
FOUR YEARS AGO ALL THOUGHTS WERE ANXIOUSLY DIRECTED
TO AN IMPENDING CIVIL WAR, ALL DREADED IT,
ALL SOUGHT TO AVERT IT.
BOTH PARTIES DEPRECATED WAR,
BUT ONE OF THEM WOULD MAKE WAR
RATHER THAN LET THE NATION SURVIVE.
AND THE OTHER WOULD ACCEPT WAR
RATHER THAN LET IT PERISH AND THE WAR CAME.
ONE EIGHTH OF THE WHOLE POPULATION WERE COLORED SLAVES.
NOT DISTRIBUTED GENERALLY OVER THE UNION,
BUT LOCALIZED IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF IT.
THESE SLAVES CONSTITUTED A PECULIAR AND POWERFUL INTEREST.
ALL KNEW THAT THIS INTEREST
WAS SOMEHOW THE CAUSE OF THE WAR.
NEITHER PARTY EXPECTED FOR THE WAR,
THE MAGNITUDE OR THE DURATION,
WHICH IT HAS ALREADY ATTAINED.
NEITHER ANTICIPATED
THAT THE CAUSE OF THE CONFLICT MIGHT CEASE WITH
OR EVEN BEFORE THE CONFLICT ITSELF SHOULD CEASE.
EACH LOOKED FOR AN EASIER TRIUMPH
AND A RESULT LESS FUNDAMENTAL AND ASTOUNDING.
BOTH READ THE SAME BIBLE AND PRAY TO THE SAME GOD
AND EACH INVOKES HIS AID AGAINST THE OTHER.
IT MAY SEEM STRANGE THAT ANY MEN
SHOULD DARE TO ASK A JUST GOD'S ASSISTANCE
IN WRINGING THEIR BREAD
FROM THE SWEAT OF OTHER MEN'S FACES.
BUT LET US JUDGE NOT THAT WE BE NOT JUDGED.
THE PRAYERS OF BOTH COULD NOT BE ANSWERED
THAT HAVE NEITHER HAS BEEN ANSWERED FULLY.
THE ALMIGHTY HAS HIS OWN PURPOSES.
"WOE UNTO THE WORLD BECAUSE OF OFFENSES
FOR IT MUST NEEDS BE THE DEFENSES COME,
BUT WOE TO THE THAT MAN BY WHOM THE OFFENSE COMETH."
IF WE SHALL SUPPOSE THAT AMERICAN SLAVERY
IS ONE OF THOSE OFFENSES,
WHICH IN THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD MUST NEEDS COME,
BUT WHICH HAVEN'T CONTINUED THROUGH HIS APPOINTED TIME,
HE NOW WILLS TO REMOVE
AND THAT HE GIVES TO BOTH NORTH AND SOUTH
THIS TERRIBLE WAR
AS THE WOE DUE TO THOSE BY WHOM THE OFFENSE CAME,
SHALL WE DISCERN THEREIN ANY DEPARTURE
FROM THOSE DIVINE ATTRIBUTES
WHICH THE BELIEVERS IN A LIVING GOD ALWAYS ASCRIBED TO HIM?
FONDLY DO WE HOPE, FERVENTLY DO WE PRAY
THAT THIS MIGHTY SCOURGE OF WAR MAY SPEEDILY PASS AWAY.
YET, IF GOD WILLS THAT IT CONTINUE,
UNTIL ALL THE WEALTH PILED BY THE BONDSMAN'S 250 YEARS
OF UNREQUITED TOIL SHALL BE SUNK
AND UNTIL EVERY DROP OF BLOOD DRAWN WITH THE LASH
SHALL BE PAID BY ANOTHER DRAWN WITH THE SWORD.
AS WAS SAID 3000 YEARS AGO, SO STILL IT MUST BE SAID,
"THE JUDGEMENTS OF THE LORD
ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS ALL TOGETHER".
(SOFT MUSIC)
WITH MALICE TOWARD NONE, WITH CHARITY FOR ALL,
WITH FIRMNESS IN THE RIGHT AS GOD GIVES US TO SEE THE RIGHT.
LET US STRIVE ON TO FINISH THE WORK WE ARE IN
TO BIND UP THE NATION'S WOUNDS,
TO CARE FOR HIM WHO SHALL HAVE BORNE THE BATTLE
AND FOR HIS WIDOW AND HIS ORPHAN
TO DO ALL WHICH MAY ACHIEVE AND CHERISH,
ADJUST AND LAST IN PEACE AMONG OURSELVES
AND WITH ALL NATIONS.
(SOFT MUSIC) (AUDIENCE APPLAUDING)