America's Greatest Speech: Lincoln's 2nd Inaugural
Some might say the Gettysburg Address, but for my money, the 2nd Inaugural Address is not only Lincoln's best speech, but also the greatest American speech ever delivered - and let me tell you why.
As the Civil War drew to a close, the nation struggled to make sense of the devastation wrought by the conflict (if we fought the war today and adjusted the numbers for population inflation, it would mean losing over 6 million American dead - think about that for a moment). Rather than be triumphalist and succumb to acrimony against the defeated South, Lincoln had the grace to offer the hand of reconciliation and acknowledge that both sides had been unhappy role players in the 'fundamental and astounding' conflict. He also had the courage to talk about the root causation of the war - slavery. Written in Lincoln's own hand, the eloquence and power of the speech endures and moves us still today, on the 150th anniversary of its delivery.
Here are Lincoln's words...