林肯总统在1861年的第一次就职演说--英文版there has never been any reasonable cause for such apprehension. indeed, the mostample evidence to the contrary has all the while existed and been open to theirinspection. it is found in nearly all the published speeches of him who now addressesyou. i do but quote from one of those speeches when i declare that-- i have no purpose,directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the stateswhere it exists. i believe i have no lawful right to do so, and i have no inclinationto do so. those who nominated and elected me did so with full knowledge that i hadmade this and many similar declarations and had never recanted them; and more thanthis, they placed in the platform for my acceptance, and as a law to themselves andto me, the clear and emphatic resolution which i now read: resolved, that themaintenance inviolate of the rights of the states, and especially the right of eachstate to order and control its own domestic institutions according to its own judgmentexclusively, is essential to that balance of power on which the perfection andendurance of our political fabric depend; and we denounce the lawless invasion byarmed force of the soil of any state or territory, no matter what pretext, as amongthe gravest of crimes.unanimity frame and pass a law by means of which to keep good that unanimous oath?there is some difference of opinion whether this clause should be enforced by nationalor by state authority, but surely that difference is not a very material one. if theslave is to be surrendered, it can be of but little consequence to him or to othersby which authority it is done. and should anyone in any case be content that his oathshall go unkept on a merely unsubstantial controversy as to how it shall be kept? again: in any law upon this subject ought not all the safeguards of liberty knownin civilized and humane jurisprudence to be introduced, so that a free man be notin any case surrendered as a slave? and might it not be well at the same time to provideby law for the enforcement of that clause in the constitution which guarantees that the citizens of each state shall be entitled to all privilegesand immunities of citizens in the several states? i take the official oath to-daywith no mental reservations and with no purpose to construe the constitution or lawsby any hypercritical rules; and while i do not choose now to specify particular actsof congress as proper to be enforced, i do suggest that it will be much safer forall, both in official and private stations, to conform to and abide by all those actswhich stand unrepealed than to violate any of them trusting to find impunity in havingthem held to be unconstitutional. it is seventy-two years since the first inaugurationof a president under our national constitution. during that period fifteen differentand greatly distinguished citizens have in succession administered the executive branch of the government. they have conducted itthrough many perils, and generally with great success. yet, with all this scope of precedent, i now enter upon the same task for thebrief constitutional term of four years under great and peculiar difficulty. adisruption of the federal union, heretofore only menaced, is now formidably attempted. i hold that in contemplation of universal law and of the constitutionthe union of these states is perpetual. perpetuity is implied, if not expressed, inthe fundamental law of all national governments. it is safe to assert that nogovernment proper ever had a provision in its organic law for its own termination.continue to execute all the express provisions of our national constitution, and theunion will endure forever, it being impossible to destroy it except by some actionnot provided for in the instrument itself. again: if the united states be not agovernment proper, but an association of states in the nature of contract merely,can it, as acontract, be peaceably unmade by less than all the parties who made it?one party to a contract may violate it--break it, so to speak--but does it not requireall to lawfully rescind it? descending from these general principles, we find theproposition that in legal contemplation the union is perpetual confirmed by thehistory of the union itself. the union is much older than the constitution. it was formed, in fact, by the articles of association in 1774. it was maturedand continued by the declaration of independence in 1776. it was further matured,and the faith of all the then thirteen states expressly plighted and engaged thatit should be perpetual, by the articles of confederation in 1778. and finally, in1787, one of the declared objects for ordaining and establishing the constitutionwas to form a more perfect union. but if destruction of the union by one or by a partonly of the states be lawfully possible, the union is less perfect than before theconstitution, having lost the vital element of perpetuity. it follows from these viewsthat no state upon its own mere motion can lawfully get out of the union; that resolvesand ordinances to that 林肯的第二任总统就职演说这篇演说的讲稿是人类历史上最伟大的演说词，永久地刻在了林肯纪念堂里，英文原文是：at this second appearing to take the oath of the presidential office，there isless occasion for an extended address than there was at the first. then a statement，somewhat in detail，of a course to be pursued，seemed fitting and proper. now，atthe expiration of four years，during which public declarations have been constantlycalled forth on every point and phase of the great contest which still absorbs theattention，and engrosses the energies of the nation，little that is new could bepresented. the progress of our arms，upon which all else chiefly depends，is as wellknown to the public as to myself; and it is，i trust，reasonably satisfactory andencouraging to all. with high hope for the future，no prediction in regard to it isventured. on the occasion corresponding to this four years ago，all thoughts were anxiouslydirected to an impending civil war. all dreaded it--all sought to avert it. whilethe inaugural address was being delivered from this place，devoted altogether tosaving the union without war，insurgent agents were in the city seeking to destroyit without war--seeking to dissolve the union，and divide effects，by negotiation.both parties deprecated war; but one of them would make war rather than let the nationsurvive; and the other would accept war rather than let it perish. and the war came. one eighth of the whole population were colored slaves，not distributed generally over the union，but localized in the southern part of it.these slaves constituted a peculiar and powerful interest. all knew that this interestwas，somehow，the cause of the war. to strengthen，perpetuate，and extend this interestwas the object for which theinsurgents would rend the union，even by war; while the government claimed noright to do more than to restrict the territorial enlargement of it. neither partyexpected for the war，the magnitude，or the duration，which it has already attained.neither anticipated that the cause of the conflict might cease with，or even before，the conflict itself should cease. each looked for an easier triumph，and a result less fundamental and astounding.both read the same bible，and astounding to the same god; and each invokes his aidagainst the other. it may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just godsassistance in wringing their bread from with malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right，asgod gives us to see the right，let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bindup the nations wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle，and for hiswidow，and his orphan--to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lastingpeace，among ourselves，and with all nations.最后两段译文：(交战)每一方都在寻求一个快速的、不伤根本的胜利。