林肯就职演讲稿(9)

我的同胞们，请大家对这整个问题平心静气地好好想一想，真正有价值的东西是不会因从容从事而丧失的。如果有个什么目标使你迫不及待地要取得它，你采取的步骤是在审慎考虑的

情况下不会采取的，那个目标的确可能会由于你的从容不迫而达不到;但一个真正好的自标是不会因为从容从事而失去的。你们中现在感到不满的人，仍然必须遵守原封未动的老宪法，新个敏感的问题上，仍然有根据宪法制订的法律;而对此二者，新政府即使想要加以改变，它自身也立即无此权力。即使承认你们那些心怀不满的人在这一争执中站在正确的一边，那也丝毫没有正当的理由要采取贸然行动。明智、爱国主义、基督教精神，以及对从未抛弃过这片得天独厚的土地的上帝的依赖，仍然完全能够以最理想的方式来解决我们当前的一切困难。

决定内战这个重大问题的是你们，我的心怀不满的同胞们，而并非决定于我。政府决不会攻击你们。只要你们自己不当侵略者，就不会发生冲突。你们并没有对天发誓必须毁灭这个政

府，而我却曾无比庄严地宣誓，一定要“保持、保护和保卫”这个政府。

我真不想就此结束我的讲话，我们不是敌人，而是朋友。我们决不能成为敌人。尽管目前的情绪有些紧张，但决不能容许它使我们之间的亲密情感纽带破裂。回忆的神秘琴弦，在整个这片辽阔的土地上，从每一个战场，每一个爱国志士的坟墓，延伸到每一颗跳动的心和每一个家庭，它有一天会被我们的良知所触动，再次奏出联邦合唱曲。

林肯第二次就职演说 (1865年3月4日)

abraham lincoln's second inaugural address fellow-countrymen:

at this second appearing to take the oath of the presidential office， there is less occasion for an extended address than there was at the first。 then a statement， somewhat in detail， of a course to be pursued， seemed fitting and proper。 now， at the expiration of four years， during which public declarations have been constantly called forth on every point and phase of the great contest which still absorbs the attention， and engrosses the enerergies of the nation， little that is new could be presented。 the progress of our arms， upon which all else chiefly depends， is as well known to the public as to myself; and it is， i trust， reasonably satisfactory and encouraging to all。 with high hope for the future， no prediction in regard to it is ventured。

on the occasion corresponding to this four years ago， all thoughts were anxiously directed to an impending civil war。 all dreaded it—all sought to avert it。 while the inaugeral address was being delivered from this place， devoted altogether to saving the union without war， insurgent agents were in the city seeking to destroy it without war—seeking to dissole the union，and divide effects， by negotiation。 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。 to strengthen， perpetuate， and extend this interest was the object for which the insurgents would rend the union， even by war; while the government claimed no right to do more than to restrict the territorial enlargement of it。 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 of neither has been answered fully。 the almighty has his own purposes。 "woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences e; but woe to that man by whom the offence eth!" if we shall suppose that american slavery is one of those offences which， in the providence of god， must needs e， but which， having 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 offence came， shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a living god always ascribe 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 bond-man's two hundred and fifty 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 three thousand years ago， so still it must be said "the judgments of the lord， are true and righteous altogether"