With Malice Toward None: Lincoln's Vision of Rapprochement

Picture from Abraham Lincoln second inaugural address

By Promise Odejide

"With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds." - Abraham Lincoln, Second Inaugural Address

These words, spoken by President Abraham Lincoln on March 4, 1865, reflect his vision of reconciliation and healing for a nation torn apart by civil war. Lincoln delivered his second inaugural address only 41 days before his assassination and less than a month before the end of the war. He had just won a decisive re-election and could have used the occasion to celebrate his victory or to condemn his enemies. Instead, he chose to speak of sadness, humility, and compassion.

Lincoln acknowledged that slavery was the cause of the war and that both sides had been wrong in their expectations of the conflict. He did not claim any moral superiority or divine favor for the Union, but rather appealed to the common humanity and shared destiny of all Americans. He expressed his hope that the war would soon end and that peace would be restored. He also outlined his plans for the reconstruction of the nation, which included granting amnesty to the former rebels, protecting the rights of the freed slaves, and providing aid to the war-torn regions.

Lincoln's second inaugural address is widely regarded as one of the greatest speeches in American history. It is also one of the shortest, lasting only about six minutes. It is inscribed, along with his Gettysburg Address, on the walls of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Lincoln's words have inspired generations of Americans and people around the world who seek to overcome hatred and violence with love and justice.