LAD #14

• Lincoln's First Inaugural Address mostly concerns slavery, which was arguably the most hotly contested issue of the time. However, Lincoln avoids blatantly taking a side in the issue, as he knows doing so would turn a large portion of America against him. He knows that slavery could cause further tensions in America and ultimately cause the Union to split. He states that any act of a state seceding would not be lawful and considered revolutionary. He also mentions that he will use his power as president justly, and by no means ever unnecessarily use force against the people. Essentially, he is reiterating how important is to keep the Union together, as there is many potential major problems stemming from a broken country.