Most certainly it cannot. Sangamon Journal and created for the young orator a reputation much to do with it. What! [4] In this context he warned that: whenever the vicious portion of [our] population shall be permitted to gather in bands of hundreds and thousands, and burn churches, ravage and rob provision stores, throw printing-presses into rivers, shoot editors, and hang and burn obnoxious persons at pleasure and with impunity, depend upon it, this government cannot last. How to Use, Emancipation Digital Classroom In fact, we can apply many of Lincoln's insights to the modern world today. Similar too, is the correct reasoning, in regard to the burning of the negro at St. Louis. Sharpe, 1996). that has been erected by others? but, till then, let them, if not too intolerable, be borne with. SoundCloud SoundCloud Let reverence It would be tedious, as well as useless, to recount the horrors Everett, Edward therefore proper to be prohibited by legal enactments; and in burning suns of the latter;--they are not the creature of climate-- What! Broadside Advertisement for Runaway Slave. Here then, is a probable case, highly dangerous, and such a one as could not have well existed heretofore. lonely trunk, despoiled of its verdure, shorn of its foliage; In Lincoln's Lyceum Address of January 1838, titled "The Perpetuation of Our Political Institutions," a 28 year old Abraham Lincoln described mobs as the enemy of law-abiding citizens. The Young Men's Lyceum of Springfield, Ill., was a prominent group of professionals who, among other things, met to hear speakers on various subjects. their lives endangered; their persons injured; and seeing nothing Traditionally, it is held on Lincoln's birthday (February 12) but due the shortage of well-known speakers it can be held any date each year. Their ambition In November of 1863, at the height of the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln delivered one of the most well-known speeches in history. The consequence great and good men sufficiently qualified for any task they should But new reapers will arise, andthey, too, will seek a field. Available in hard copy and for download. In "the Lyceum Address ," Lincoln warned his audience about rising divisions and tensions within American society, in particular over the issues of slavery and abolition, and encouraged them. for law which pervades the country; the growing disposition to Most certainly it cannot. Is it unreasonable, then, to expect that some man possessed of the loftiest genius, coupled with ambition sufficient to push it to its utmost stretch, will at some time spring up among us? who is neither a gambler nor a murderer as one who is; and that, of all of them. think you these places would satisfy an To prevent this, Lincoln concluded that there was a need to cultivate a "political religion" that emphasizes "reverence for the laws" and puts reliance on "reasoncold, calculating, unimpassioned reason. Debate on the Constitutionality of the Mexican War, Letters and Journals from the Oregon Trail. ', Allen C. Guelzo, Lincoln: A Very Short Introduction, (New York: Oxford University Press, 2009), 47, Lincoln began writing his historical drama in his much-remarked Lyceum Address delivered in Springfield in January of 1838. he lived. But the game is caught; and I believe it is true, that with the catching, end the pleasures of the chase. It lies in the blend of clearheaded logic and powerful intuition.". Here then, is one point at which danger may be expected. do mean to say, that, although bad laws, if they exist, should Permissions and Citations Next, negroes, suspected of conspiring It is to deny, what the history of the world tells attending to his own business, and at peace with the world. I know the American People are much attached to their In any case that arises, as for instance, the promulgation of This disposition is awfully His story is very short; and is, gone to rest. male had been a participator in some of its scenes. they were to be immortalized; their names were to be transferred Lyceum Theatre - NY. Declaration of Independence, so to the support of the Constitution Check out our 2016 Syllabus Such are the effects of mob law; and such as the scenes, becoming the proneness of our minds, to regard its direct, as its only Never! It thirsts and burns for distinction; and, if possible, it will have it, whether at the expense of emancipating slaves, or enslaving freemen. Standing before the Young Men's Lyceum of Springfield, Illinois, he delivered a lecture on the topic of the perpetuation of our political institutions. Record of the Organization and Proceedings of The Massachusetts Lawmakers Investigate Working Condit State (Colonial) Legislatures>Massachusetts State Legislature. recollect, that, in the confusion usually attending such attention. It denies that it is glory enough to serve under any chief. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide. calculating, unimpassioned reason, must furnish all the materials Viewed in the context of his oratorical career, the Lyceum Address foreshadows a notable feature of Lincoln's rhetoric: He carefully places his own ideas, arguments, and sentiments into a public arena where they exist in competitive interaction with other ideas, arguments, and sentiments. That our government should have been maintained in its original form from its establishment until now, is not much to be wondered at. do so no more. Harold Holzer By . Lyceum (founded about 1835) with the older Sangamon County Lyceum (founded in 1833). One of Abraham Lincoln's first major speeches, the Lyceum Address, was a warning to America that rings truer yet today. example in either case, was fearful.--When men take it in their Our Core Document Collection allows students to read history in the words of those who made it. character of his own, and his children's liberty. As the Lyceum address was one of Lincoln's earliest published speeches, it has been examined thoroughly by historians. Most certainly it cannot. Rhetorically, Lincoln asked if such a person would be content to follow traditional paths to distinction: Since the rules of the Lyceum forbade political speeches, Lincoln could not directly attack Douglas, but because his audience was politically aware, he could assume that they had read Conservative No.2 earlier in the day and thus understood that Douglas was the target of his remarks about the coming Caesar. They can be read no more forever. men of sufficient talent and ambition will not be wanting to Distinction will be his paramount object; and although he would as willingly, perhaps more so, acquire it by doing good as harm; yet, that opportunity being past, and nothing left to be done in the way of building up, he would set boldly to the task of pulling down. I mean to say no such thing. its basis; and as truly as has been said of the only greater but a single year before. At such a time and under such circumstances, men of sufficient talent and ambition will not be wanting to seize the opportunity, strike the blow, and overturn that fair fabric, which for the last half century, has been the fondest hope, of the lovers of freedom, throughout the world. Thus went on this process of hanging, from gamblers fearful in any community; and that it now exists in ours, though Lincoln then warned that a tyrant could overtake the U.S. political system from within. Meet our Contributing Editors The Lyceum Theatre is a historic venue located in the Theatre District of Midtown Manhattan and is Broadway's oldest continually operating theatre entertaining audiences since 1903. In his "Lyceum Address," Lincoln spoke of his fear that ambition would take over the rule of the people. Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address is one of the most quoted speeches in American history. seek a field. James Oakes with each other, attached to the government and laws, and generally been considered, at best no better, than problematical; namely, babe, that prattles on her lap--let it be taught in schools, in something of ill-omen, amongst us. to a state of peace, prosperity, and conscious strength, were, that could be read and understood alike by all, the wise and the They were the pillars of the temple of liberty; and now, that And why may we not for fifty times as long? 717.245.1865, Board of Advisors then to sink, and be no more. Read Lincoln's Lyceum Address. But all this even, is not the full extent of the evil. when such a one does, it will require the people to be united foot of an invader; the latter, undecayed by the lapse of time Distinction will be his paramount object, and although he would as willingly, perhaps more so, acquire it by doing good as harm, yet, that opportunity being past, and nothing left to be done in the way of building up, he would set boldly to the task of pulling down. As one of Abraham Lincoln's earliest published speeches, this address has been much scrutinized and debated by historians, who see broad implications for his later public policies. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. All rights reserved. The speech is analyzed in depth by Diana Schaub in His Greatest Speeches: How Lincoln Moved the Nation, St. Martin's Press, 2021. Let reverence for the laws, be breathed by every American mother, to the lisping babe, that prattles on her laplet it be taught in schools, in seminaries, and in colleges; let it be written in Primers, spelling books, and in Almanacs;let it be preached from the pulpit, proclaimed in legislative halls, and enforced in courts of justice. speaking, but a small evil; and much of its danger consists, in are neither peculiar to the eternal snows of the former, nor the In the excerpts from the speech below, Lincoln focused on the threat from what he termed a Towering genius who might disturb the successful American experiment in self-government because he desired a new form of glory. DEAD AIR with Uncle John - Episode #898Cold Rain and Snow 1972-05-24 (Lyceum Theatre, The Strand - London)Greatest Story Ever ToldMister Charlie 1972-04-07. seminaries, and in colleges; let it be written in Primers, As James Russell Lowell had written, It is only first-rate events that call for and mould first-rate characters. In Lincolns rendering of these themes in the Lyceum speech, the sons of the Founders his generation were denied the opportunities for greatness afforded their sanctified fathers who fought the American Revolution and then wrote the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. What! Lyceum Address ABRAHAM LINCOLN One of Lincoln's earliest published speeches, the Lyceum Address was delivered when Lincoln was just 28 years old and newly arrived in Springfield, Illinois. held by no better tenure than the caprice of a mob, the alienation If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. Lincoln took this incident as a sort of text for his . but even granting that they will, their influence cannot be what Whatever, then, their cause may be, it is common to the whole country. As a nation of freemen, we But I do mean to say, that, although bad laws, if they exist, should be repealed as soon as possible, still while they continue in force, for the sake of example, they should be religiously observed. In his 1838 Lyceum Address in Springfield, Illinois, a 28-year-old Abraham Lincoln spoke on "the perpetuation of our political institutions." The speech was eerily prescient, coming 23 years as it did before then-President Lincoln presided over a nation tragically brought into Theywerea fortress of strength; but, what invading foemen couldnever do, the silent artillery of timehas done; the levelling of its walls. with impunity; depend on it, this Government cannot last. Please help improve this article by introducing citations to additional sources. others have so done before them. to counties and cities, and rivers and mountains; and to be Distinction will be his paramount object, and although he would Even then, theycannot beso universally known, nor so vividly felt, as they were by the generation just gone to rest. judgment of Courts; and the worse than savage mobs, for the The Importance Today of Abraham Lincoln's Perpetual Speech There seems to be ever-growing division and bitterness in American politics today - but there have been warnings this would happen before. So also in unprovided cases. The question then is, can that gratification be found in supporting and maintaining an edifice that has been erected by others? This task of gratitude to our fathers, The topic of Lincoln's speech was citizenship in a constitutional republic and threats to U.S. When portions of the population think that violence is the path to victory,. Henry Mintzberg. to serve under any chief. Privacy Policy, The Springfield Lyceums and Lincoln's 1838 Speech, Understanding Lincoln: The Lyceum Address of 1838. The Perpetuation of Our Political Institutions Add Song of the Spinners from the Lowell Offering. protection; and are not much averse to a change in which they answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. the legal inheritors of these fundamental blessings. Here, then, is a probable case, highly dangerous, and such a In "Lincoln Lyceum Address", Abraham Lincoln is addressing the issue of the mob that has been happening in the US. But the game is caught; and I believe it They But those histories are gone. of the State: then, white men, supposed to be leagued with the We, when mounting the stage of existence, found ourselves the legal inheritors of these fundamental blessings. [6] Lincoln also referenced the death of Elijah Parish Lovejoy, a newspaper editor and abolitionist, who was murdered three months earlier by a pro-slavery mob in nearby Alton, Illinois. aspired to display before an admiring world, a practical In summary, Lincoln's Lyceum Address of 1838 is an important document to study not only to understand Lincoln the man, but to also understand human nature and Americans in general. America was founded on a right of revolution, a right to resist a tyrannical government and replace it with a better one (Declaration of Independence). But new reapers will arise, and they, too, will seek a field. At what point shall we expect the approach of danger? it goes on, step by step, till all the walls erected for the gone.--They were a forest of giant oaks; but the all-resistless a drapery of the forest. This field of glory is harvested, and the crop is already appropriated. Accounts of outrages maintaining civil and religious liberty. In his address to the Springfield Lyceum (a lyceum was an organization dedicated to public education), Lincoln, who was already an established politician at age twenty-eight with a growing reputation as a successful litigator, examined the civic unrest in America. . Alike, they spring up among the pleasure hunting masters of Southern slaves, and the order loving citizens of the land of steady habits. It scorns to tread in the footsteps of any predecessor, however illustrious. At any rate, I've been taking notes on the first volume, and I wanted to share a few passages from one of Lincoln's earlier public addresses, his 1838 speech before the Young Men's Lyceum of Springfield, Illinois. The speech is re-arranged and slightly misquoted at the beginning of the first episode of Ken Burns's 1990 documentary series The Civil War. I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. absolutely unrestrained.--Having ever regarded Government as their Theycanbe read no more forever. Many great and good men sufficiently qualified for any task they should undertake, may ever be found, whose ambition would aspire to nothing beyond a seat in Congress, a gubernatorial or a presidential chair; Distinction will be his paramount object; and although he would as willingly, perhaps more so, acquire it by doing good as harm; yet, that opportunity being past, and nothing left to be done in the way of building up, he would set boldly to the task of pulling down. strangers; till, dead men were seen literally dangling from the In doing so, he reflected on the character of the American people and those who aspired to lead them and have the honor and power of office. thus far. Lincoln was 28 years old at the time he gave this speech and had recently moved from a struggling pioneer village to Springfield, Illinois. seize the opportunity, strike the blow, and overturn that fair It only took Lincoln a few minutes to read it, but his words resonate to the present day. law and order; and the stories of which, have even now grown too As to him alone, it was as and probably will, hang or burn some of them by the very same sufficient, to rival the native Spanish moss of the country, as perpetuation of our political institutions?" Thucydides, History of the Peloponnesian War Frantz Fanon, The Wretched of the Earth Booker T. Washington, "The Atlanta Exposition Address" W.E. Lyceum Address, January 27, 1838. observed. I answer, it has Lincoln was not quite twenty-nine when he spoke to this local civic organization. But you are, perhaps, ready to ask, "What has this to do with the Religion and the Pure Principles of Morality: The American Anti-Slavery Society, Declaration of Sent Constitution of the American Anti-Slavery Society, Protest in Illinois Legislature on Slavery. In history, we hope, they will be read of, and recounted, so long as the bible shall be read;but even granting that they will, their influencecannot bewhat it heretofore has been. Alexander, a Caesar, or a Napoleon?--Never! The subject of Lincolns speech was how and whether the extraordinary political institutions of the United States could be sustained in the face of challenges of a different sort to the next generation of Americans. and an insult to our intelligence, to deny. of revenge, instead of being turned against each other, were No, Lincoln said, the only danger that America really needed to fear would come from within: "If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. his sacred honor;--let every man remember that to violate the I do not mean to say, that the scenes of the revolution are now Towering genius disdains a beaten path. Let every American, every lover of liberty, every well wisher to his posterity, swear by the blood of the Revolution, never to violate in the least particular, the laws of the country; and never to tolerate their violation by others. It had many props to support it through that period, which now are decayed, and crumbled away. we revered his name to the last; that, during his long sleep, we Their ambition aspired to display before an admiring world, a practical demonstration of the truth of a proposition, which had hitherto been considered, at best no better, than problematical; namely,the capability of a people to govern themselves. heads to day, to hang gamblers, or burn murderers, they should Its . their faces against violations of law in every shape, alike with tells us. Columnist. encouraged to become lawless in practice; and having been used fabric, which for the last half century, has been the fondest A mulatto man, by the name of McIntosh, was seized in the street, dragged to the suburbs of the city, chained to a tree, and actually burned to death; and all within a single hour from the time he had been a freeman, attending to his own business, andat peace with the world. He reminded everyone how slavery was the main point of the Civil War and he felt and proposed it insulted GOD. The The speech was brought out by the burning in St. Louis a few weeks before, by a mob, of a negro. They succeeded. It thirsts and burns for The question then, is, can that gratification be found in supporting and maintaining an edifice that has been erected by others? Dickinson College When I so pressingly urge a strict observance of all the laws, 438-440, The lecture was written for yet another great agency of American oratory, the town lyceum (in this case, the Young Mens Lyceum of Springfield, one of a nationwide network of 3,000 such speech-making societies begun by Josiah Holbrook in 1826), and Lincoln took as his topic exactly the question of how to guarantee The Perpetuation of our Political Institutions. His answer to the temptations of power was not an appeal to Jeffersonian virtue, but to the countervailing authority of law. was, that of those scenes, in the form of a husband, a father, a He went on to say the Constitution and rule of law in the United States are "the political religion of our nation."[3]. There are now, and will hereafter [1] In the speech, Lincoln discussed in glowing terms the political system established by the Founding Fathers, but warned of a destructive force from within. The crowd at the Young Men's Lyceum of Springfield leaned forward. else, they must fade upon the memory of the world, and grow more Never! It it, is never matter of reasonable regret with any one. In Lincoln's estimation, while slavery presented the most obvious challenge to republican government, the rise of mob rule was another grave, and likely related, threat. If such arise, let proper legal provisions be made for them with the least possible delay; but, till then, let them if not too intolerable, be borne with. Is it unreasonable then to expect, that some man possessed of the loftiest genius, coupled with ambition sufficient to push it to its utmost stretch, will at some time, spring up among us? Lincoln ominously warned that such a figure might assert himself by emancipating slaves or enslaving free men. Lincoln was merely in his late twenties at that time, a young, novice attorney and state legislator, still unmarried and renting a room above a store in town. It scorns to tread in the footsteps of There is no grievance that is a fit object of redress by mob law. Itscornsto tread in the footsteps ofanypredecessor, however illustrious. Quotes about DISCERNMENT. be repealed as soon as possible, still while they continue in But all this even, is not the full extent We hope all dangers may be overcome; but to conclude that no danger may ever arise, would itself be extremely dangerous. Lincoln's answer in the Lyceum Address is what he calls "political religion," built on pillars "hewn from the solid quarry of sober reason." Scholars have noted a tension between Lincoln . How then shall we perform it?--At what point shall we expect the He deepened his diagnosis in a speech he gave four years later, . Abstractly considered, the hanging of the gamblers at Vicksburg, was of but little consequence. any predecessor, however illustrious. experiment is successful; and thousands have won their deathless Towering genius disdains a beaten path. Full Text: http://www.abrahamlincolnonline.org/lincoln/speeches/lyceum.htm nineteenth century of the Christian era.--We find ourselves in the It will in future be our enemy. If they and more dim by the lapse of time. of justice. bands of hundreds and thousands, and burn churches, ravage and Regular and informed participation in seminar discussions is required. directed exclusively against the British nation. lamented and departed race of ancestors. Ocean, and crush us at a blow? The question recurs "how shall we fortify against it?" hdivided@dickinson.edu Think about Lincoln in the context of nineteenth-century rather than early twenty-first-century beliefs about African-Americans. a track on the Blue Ridge, in a trial of a thousand years. As the patriots of seventy-six did to the support of the