Question

Lincoln makes a moral argument in lines 39-54. Both his premise and claim can be inferred from the Biblical quotations at the beginning and end of the paragraph. What evidence does Lincoln present so that his claim follows logically from the premise?

Answer 1

The evidence of his claim is the language of Nuances in Word Meanings. This is because he uses quotations to start and end his excerpt. This will organize the paragraph and put them into their right meanings. This will also simplify the quote and support the main idea.

Answer 2

The evidence Lincoln presents is somehow a kind of a resemblance of his past. Lincoln’s way of thinking after so many years of life on important concepts is reflected in this text. With the biblical references, Lincoln reveals his personal belief in the sovereignty God.

In the text there are many references to God: “living God”, the “Almighty”, the “Lord”, and the way he writes about God make us think that the Almighty exerts its will in human’s affair with divine attributes. The text says: “The Almighty has His own purposes…” Another important element that he mentions is that God answers prayers and provide guidance.

The Second Inaugural Address is considered to be Lincoln’s greatest speech. He delivered this speech on his second inaugural address as President, on March 4, 1865.