Tuesday, March 19, AD 2024 4:21am

Elections

Something for the weekend.  The score to the movie Lincoln (2012).  Go here to read my review of this masterpiece.  One hundred and fifty years ago there was little doubt now that Lincoln was going to be re-elected and the Union was going to win the War.  The Civil War had just a little over six months to go, as did Lincoln’s life.

After he was re-elected, Lincoln on November 10, 1864 responded to a serenade outside the White House with this brief speech:

It has long been a grave question whether any government, not too strong for the liberties of its people, can be strong enough to maintain its own existence, in great emergencies.
 
On this point the present rebellion brought our republic to a severe test; and a presidential election occurring in regular course during the rebellion added not a little to the strain. If the loyal people, united, were put to the utmost of their strength by the rebellion, must they not fail when divided, and partially paralized, by a political war among themselves?  But the election was a necessity.
 
We can not have free government without elections; and if the rebellion could force us to forego, or postpone a national election, it might fairly claim to have already conquered and ruined us. The strife of the election is but human-nature practically applied to the facts of the case. What has occurred in this case, must ever recur in similar cases. Human-nature will not change. In any future great national trial, compared with the men of this, we shall have as weak, and as strong; as silly and as wise; as bad and good. Let us, therefore, study the incidents of this, as philosophy to learn wisdom from, and none of them as wrongs to be revenged.
 
But the election, along with its incidental, and undesirable strife, has done good too. It has demonstrated that a people’s government can sustain a national election, in the midst of a great civil war. Until now it has not been known to the world that this was a possibility. It shows also how sound, and how strong we still are. It shows that, even among candidates of the same party, he who is most devoted to the Union, and most opposed to treason, can receive most of the people’s votes. It shows also, to the extent yet known, that we have more men now, than we had when the war began. Gold is good in its place; but living, brave, patriotic men, are better than gold.
 
But the rebellion continues; and now that the election is over, may not all, having a common interest, re-unite in a common effort, to save our common country? For my own part I have striven, and shall strive to avoid placing any obstacle in the way. So long as I have been here I have not willingly planted a thorn in any man’s bosom.
 
While I am deeply sensible to the high compliment of a re-election; and duly grateful, as I trust, to Almighty God for having directed my countrymen to a right conclusion, as I think, for their own good, it adds nothing to my satisfaction that any other man may be disappointed or pained by the result.
 
May I ask those who have not differed with me, to join with me, in this same spirit towards those who have?
 
And now, let me close by asking three hearty cheers for our brave soldiers and seamen and their gallant and skilful commanders.

As usual, Lincoln’s impromptu remarks got to the heart of the significance of the election of 1864:  that it was held at all.  North and South, throughout the Civil War, elections were regularly held.  That is an extremely rare occurrence in a nation experiencing a fratricidal war of the magnitude of that conflict.  Something to remember, and cherish, as our own elections take place this year.

 

 

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Don the Kiwi
Saturday, October 25, AD 2014 4:20pm

I hope the dumbed-down populace of the USA are in the minority in these mid term elections.
10 years ago, who would have ever dreamed that the USA would be dragged down the path of a socialist utopia in emulation of the soviet union? Even your freedoms under the UN charter are being eroded. If this present incumbent president and his minions aren’t neutered at the mid terms, and booted out of office in 2016, you will no longer be the Land of the Free, and its doubtful you are now.
If the socialsist stay in power, I foresee a mass exodus of good Americans to the “real” free world, Down under – Oz and NZ 😉

Don the Kiwi
Saturday, October 25, AD 2014 5:39pm

Yes Don.
Reading the reports from afar, it certainly seems that way, and I pray you’re right. There is a lot of commentary on our Kiwiblog that always comes up in elections, in NZ, Oz, USA an UK.
Because I visit a few US blogs, I’m getting a lot of US conservative campaign e-mails for support – if they only knew – what could a poor retired builder and deacon from NZ offer, apart from prayers ? 🙂

Mary De Voe
Monday, October 27, AD 2014 6:49am

“We can not have free government without elections;” Abraham Lincoln’s speech here is so timely. The news on WBAL Sunday night told of two early voting machines “flipping” votes from one party to the other. “Hope and Change” Who knew that it would be your electoral Hope that would be Changed?

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