LAD #14 - Lincoln's First Inaugural Address

Lincoln focused on the issue of slavery in his First Inaugural Address because it was creating a split between the North and the South. He clearly states that he is not taking sides in this fight. His sole goal is to preserve the union of the United States as a single country. According to the constitution, a person held to labor in one state is not able to shake that duty and become free by entering another state. This statement specificly refuring to the fugative slaves that escaped from the South to the North. Lincoln strongly and repetativly states that we must preserve the union. Any act of secession would be very harmful to the unity of the union. He says, “we must not be ememies,” but friends. Both the North and the South need to realize that these problems of slavery many not go away, however, the union must be preserved.