For Lincoln, America faces a crisis of increasing disregard for the law,

substituting wild passions for sober judgments, and mob justice. He fears the c
risis will lead to a break down of the Government. His definition of the crisis,
however, does not address the root problem, an absence of leadership. Because h
e mistakes the symptoms for the disease, his proposal falls short in solving the
crisis.
To build his speech to the breakdown of the Government, Lincoln shows hi
s audience the violence of mob justice. Using the story of Francis McIntosh as a
n example, Lincoln describes how he was, "dragged to the suburbs of the city, ch
ained to a tree, and actually burned to death" McIntosh was not escorted to his
death, he was dragged. He was not made to stand stand by a tree, he was chained,
and he was not just hung by the neck until dead, he was actually burned to deat
h, burned until his features melted and he was unrecognizable. Because Lincoln e
xplains that McIntosh was taken to jail for murdering another man, Lincoln risks
his audience having sympathy for the mob.
While Lincoln's audience may feel McIntosh's murder in some way justifie
s his burning, Lincoln argues that a country of mob law will lead to hanging inn
ocent people, Americans becoming lawless in practice, and the alienation of the
Government's good citizens. In short, a breakdown in order.
Although the wild passions of a mob may first lead to hanging guilty peo
ple, Lincoln argues, little time passes before a mob begins to mistake the innoc
ent for the guilty, and hang each with equal impunity. Worse, he argues, is that
future mobs will learn from the mobs of today and be as likely to burn the inno
cent as the guilty. He predicts, "and thus it goes on, step by step, till all th
e walls erected for the defense of the persons and property of individuals, are
trodden down, and disregarded." His word choice suggests the dismantling of the
Government. Here, for the first time in his speech, he mentions the possibility
of the breakdown of Government.
Lincoln also describes how seeing instances of mob violence will encoura
ge more people to engage in lawlessness. He says, "by instances of the perpetrat
ors of such acts going unpunished, the lawless in spirit, are encouraged to beco
me lawless in practice." The increasing number of lawless people feeds the moboc
ratic spirit.
For Lincoln, good citizens love tranquility, desire to abide by the laws
, and die in the defense of the country. Lincoln argues mobs disrupt each of the
se qualities.
When Government lets a mob disrupt tranquility, lawful behavior, and loy
alty, the Government alienates its best citizens. This alienation, Lincoln argue
s, makes the government unable to perform its duties. After seeing "their proper
ty destroyed; their families insulted, and their lives endangered," Lincoln argu
es, they will no longer care whether the Government stands or falls. Then, the G
overnment, "will be left without friends, or with too few, and those few too wea
k, to make their friendship effectual." The Government cannot operate without pe
ople to administer and execute its laws, then, it cannot last. Lincoln connects
the break down of Government to the mobocratic spirit which exists throughout A
merica during the time of his speech. After describing the direct consequences o
f mob law, he follows the consequences of mob law to hanging innocent people by
mistake, to the contagion of lawless behavior, to the alienation of good citizen
s from the Government, to its breakdown.
Lincoln concisely states his proposal to solve this crisis. First, he wi
shes to do away with passion. "Passion has helped us; but...It will in future be
our enemy." Then, he proposes replacing passion with reason. "Reason, cold, cal
culating, unimpassioned reason, must furnish all the materials for our future su
pport and defence." Finally, he says, "Let those materials be moulded into gener
al intelligence, sound morality and, in particular, a reverence for the constitu
tion and laws." On the foundation of reason, Lincoln argues, follow the laws of
the Government religiously. Doing so will lay aside these wild passions that hav
e lead to mob violence that will lead to a breakdown of Government.
Lincoln's proposal falls short because he has missed the root cause of t
he crisis, an absence of leadership to guide the passion of Americans. With the
influence of the founding fathers, "the deep rooted principles of hate, and the
powerful motive of revenge, instead of being turned against each other, were dir
ected exclusively against the British nation." The founding fathers guided the p
assions towards a tangible end, the defeat of the British and American independe
nce. Implicitly, Lincoln's speech testifies to the superior importance of leader
s to guide American passion and maintain order. Throughout his speech, he uses t
he founding fathers as a persuasive device for encouraging general behavior such
as maintaining the Government and when encouraging specific behavior, such as e
ncouraging Americans to obey the laws religiously.
Lincoln uses the founding fathers to encourage his audience to maintain
the successful American Government. He says, "this task of gratitude to our fath
ers, justice to ourselves...all imperatively require us to faithfully perform."
Although Lincoln mentions other reasons to keep the Government going, the first
reason he uses, in gratitude to our fathers, suggests the extent to which he bel
ieves his audience wants to do the wishes of their founding fathers, their leade
rs. Here, Lincoln states explicitly the connection between leadership and mainta
ining Government.
Towards the end of his speech, Lincoln invokes the politically sacred na
me of Washington to persuade his audience to follow in the footsteps of the foun
ders. He again encourages Americans to maintain the government. Lincoln says, "a
nd, that we improved to the last...that we revered his named to the last; that..
.we permitted no hostile foot to pass over or desecrate his resting place; shall
be that which to learn the last trump shall awaken our WASHINGTON." Lincoln ass
ociates several behaviors with reverence for Washington. Americans must improve
themselves, Americans must defend their country, and Americans must protect thei
r country from desecration, all in the name of Washington. These words suggest L
incoln's belief in the influential power of leaders.
In addition to using the name of the founding fathers for general appeal
s to his audience, he also uses the name of the founding fathers specifically fo
r adding weight to his proposal to solve the crisis.
As he introduces his proposal, Lincoln asks Americans to swear by the bl
ood of the Revolution, in other words, the founding fathers, the founding leader
s. The placement of the founding fathers at the beginning of his proposal sugges
ts the persuasive power Lincoln associates with them. The placement also suggest
s Lincoln's reliance on means outside himself to get his message across. Lincoln
declares, "let every American...swear by the blood of the Revolution, never to
violate in the least particular, the laws of the country." Here, Lincoln connect
s law abiding behavior with honoring dead Revolutionary War heroes. He asks his
audience to honor their leaders by performing the specific task of obeying laws.
Lincoln hopes the reference to the founding fathers will guide the passion of h
is audience towards law abiding behavior.
In his next sentence, Lincoln makes an even stronger claim, comparing ea
ch American to a founding father. He says, "as the patriots of seventy-six did t
o the support of the Declaration of Independence, so to the support of the Const
itution and Laws, let every American pledge his life, his property, and his sacr
ed honor; -- let every man remember that to violate the law, is to trample on th
e blood of his father." The patriots of seventy-six, the signers of the Declarat
ion of Independence, these men were traitors to the British empire, traitors who
might have been hanged had America not been victorious. Lincoln tells his audie
nce that to support the Constitution and Laws is as brave an act as that of the
founding fathers. Lincoln continues to press his case, arguing to violate the la
w is to "trample on the blood of his father." Again, he uses the imagery of dish
onoring the dead or dying founding fathers to compel his audience to follow the
law.
Lincoln's reliance on the name of the founding fathers suggests their us
e in guiding the behavior of Americans. This reliance also suggests the absence
of transformative leadership in America. In the fifty years since the Revolution
ary War, many founding fathers are dying or have died, but no one has emerged to
take their place.
 In his speech, Lincoln tries to fill the leadership void left by the fou
nding fathers. He offers a direction to guide their passion towards sober judgme
nt. But, his cause against passion and for reason, is too abstract to resonate t
he way the war for independence did among Americans. Comparing present Lincoln w
ith future Civil War President Lincoln, we find he was more successful guiding t
he passion of America towards a definitive goal, keeping the Union together and
later ending slavery, than he is persuading them to change their approach to lif
e. Lastly, only when Lincoln can use his own credibility, without the support of
the founding fathers, will Lincoln become the leader he calls for to persuade t
he people towards sober judgment.
Passion, law, government, all analysis should contribute to these main themes. A
dditionally, each section should have a main argument and subsequent paragraphs
should contribute to the argument. Notice how book chapters have much longer int
roductions because these longer section contain more material that must be expos
ed. this paper does not have many moving parts. it is a good way to test my wing
s. I know I can do it if I get some sleep.
--
impunity - n - exemption from penalty, punishment, or harm SYN - exemption [Fr.
impunite <L. impunitas < impunis, free from punishment < in-, without + poena, p
unishment: see PAIN]
Another way of analyzing this piece would be to think about the purpose of the s
peech, "the perpetuation of politicalinstitutions" Should that really be a perso
n's end goal? It seems like you can make an argument that the government should
only stand if certain criterion are met. not indefinitely. but as I'm learning,
stick to the outline.
Ahh, despite my attempt to create an outline, I'm starting to lose it, keep goin
g, I can do it.
Do I want to put the proposal immediately after the crisis? I could say somethin
g like, and now that we know his proposal, let's discuss its effectiveness. some
thing like that? bringing up the proposal now seems so haphazard. but then again
, I had already thought about that, to bring in the proposal towards the end to
say, as i ahve said over and over again, this doesnt work.
I am not confident about my argument for falling short because it is an abstract
ion. Is there a way to stick with the leadership argument?
UNUSED QUOTES
Paragraph 6:good men losing affection with their government.
"Good men, men who love tranquility, who desire to abide by the laws, and enjoy
their benefits, who would gladly spill their blood in the defence of their count
ry; seeing their property destroyed; their families insulted, and their lives en
dangered; their persons injured; and seeing nothing in prospect that forebodes a
change for the better; become tired of; and disgusted with, a Government that o
ffers them no protection' and are not much averse to a change in which they imag
ine they have nothing o lose." (crisis, consequences)
"By such things, the feelings of the best citizens will become more or less alie
nated from it; and thus it will be left without friends, or with too few, and th
ose few too weak, to make their friendship effectual." (Crisis, consequences)
Paragraph 7:Conclusion, a break down in order
"Thus, then, by the operation of this mobocratic spirit, which all must admit, i
s now abroad in the land, the strongest bulwark of any Government, and particula
rly of those constituted like ours, may effectually be broken down and destroyed
--I mean the attachment (italics) of the People." (consequences, crisis)
"Whenever this effect shall be produced among us; whenever the vicious portion o
f population shall be permitted to gather in bands of hundreds and thousands, an
d burn churches, ravage and rob provision stores, throw printing presses into ri
vers, shoot editors, and hang and burn obnoxious persons at pleasure, and with i
mpunity; depend on it, this Government cannot last." (crisis, consequences)
"The consequence was, that of those scenes, in the form of a husband, a father,
a son or a brother, a living history was (italics) to be found in every family--
a history bearing the indubitable testimonies of its own authenticity, in the li
mbs mangled, in the scars of wounds received, in the midst of the very scenes re
lated--a history, too, that could be read and understood alike by all, the wise
and ignorant, the learned and unlearned." (founding fathers, influence)
Paragraph 10:
In his most blatant use of the founding fathers for use in persuasion, L
incoln references the most famous founding father, Washington, to persuade his a
udience to uphold, protect, and defend, America. His use of Washington is perhap
s the ultimate admission of the importance of leaders when it comes to persuadin
g people to take a desired action. Lincoln guesses that people that consider the
mselves true Americans will not want to bring harm to Washington's name. Lincoln
ask his audience to continue to improve, to remain free, and to revere his name
. By revering his name, everything his audience will do will be in his honor, he
nce, leadership is essential to guiding behavior. Lastly, he says, permit "no ho
stile foot to pass over or desecrate his resting place." Earlier in his speech,
Lincoln asserts that America's death can only be by internal enemies.
"and, that we improved to the last; that we remained free to the last; that we r
evered his name to the last; that, during his long sleep, we permitted no hostil
e foot to pass over or desecrate his resting place; shall be that which to learn
the last trump shall awaken our WASHINGTON." (founding fathers, wild passion, g
uiding passion)
"and, that we improved to the last; that we remained free to the last; that we r
evered his name to the last; that, during his long sleep, we permitted no hostil
e foot to pass over or desecrate his resting place; shall be that which to learn
the last trump shall awaken our WASHINGTON." (founding fathers, wild passion, g
uiding passion)
Paragraph 14: Lincoln proposal
"They were (italics) the pillars of the temple of liberty; and now, that they ha
ve crumbled away, that temple must fall, unless we, their descendants, supply th
eir places with other pillars, hewn from the solid quarry of sober reason." (sob
er reason, founding fathers)
"Passion has helped us; but can do so no more. It will in future be our enemy. R
eason, cold, calculating, unimpassioned reason, must furnish all the materials f
or our future support and defence. Let those materials be moulded into general i
ntelligence, sound morality and, in particular, a reverence for the constitution
and laws;" (proposal, reason, passion)
"Similar too, is the correct reasoning, in regard to the burning of the negro at
St. Louis. He had forfeited his life, by the perpetration of an outrageous mur
der, upon one of the most worthy and respectable citizens of the city; and had h
e not died as he did, he must have died by the sentence of the law, in a very sh
ort time afterwards."
Earlier, he introduced his proposal with a reference to the founding fathers. He
re, he avoids the reference. But, during his speech, he does not flesh out his a
rgument for the general intelligence and sound morality, and when he says in par
ticular, he acknowledges that a reverence for the constitution and laws is the c
entral part of his argument. He has wrapped up this part of his argument with th
e memory of the founding fathers. He has suggested violating laws violates the m
emory of the founding fathers and that present day Americans can be like the fou
nding fathers by following the constitution and laws. As Lincoln admits, the inf
luence of the founding fathers wanes with their deaths. He says, "like everythin
g else, they must fade upon the memory of the world, and grow more and more dim
by the lapse of time." The they is the scenes of the revolution, the scenes of A
merica's founding fathers winning immortal glory. That memory will fade, and wit
h it the power to guide the passions of Americans.
To solve this crisis, Lincoln encourages his audience to follow the Cons
titution and laws religiously. To replace wild passion with sober reason, Lincol
n argues, will vanquish the mobocratic spirit so destructive to the Government.
proposal to the crisis does not address the root problem, an absence of leader
ship. His proposal falls short because it lacks the power of a strong leader to
persuade his audience. As Lincoln points out, because the founding fathers are d
ying off, their memory does not have the same persuasive power as before. Despit
e their dying, Lincoln references them throughout his speech to persuade his aud
ience generally to maintain the Government and specifically to follow his propos
al.
How do we know the founding fathers influenced behavior, because Lincoln
tells us! (QUOTE)