Abraham Lincoln's Seond Inaugural Speech

In Abraham Lincoln's second Inaugural Address, the audience expects a lengthy speech on politics, slavery, and states' rights, but is actually embraced with encouraging words about mending the broken nation after the effects of the Civil War. Lincoln does this by using ethos, pathos and tone with in his speech to reach out to his audience, and make them feel as if they are held responsible to help they're beloved nation when it is in need of care. Within Lincoln's ethos, pathos, and tone he persuades his audience to trust and respect his words, and to follow him on the path to a better nation.

As the fifth president of the United States of America, Abraham Lincoln appears extremely credible, and is seen as a reliable source of information. Lincoln uses ethos with in his speech to express the credibility that he truly disserves. When Lincoln recites that, "The progress of our arms, upon which all else chiefly depends, is as well known to the public as to myself, and it is, I trust, reasonably satisfactory and encouraging to all", he lets the audience know that he has faith within the United States military, and that they should as well. More ethos are also seen when Lincoln mentions that "While the inaugural address was being delivered from this place, devoted altogether to saving the Union without war, urgent agents were in the city seeking to destroy it without war--seeking to dissolve the Union and divide effects by negotiation." Lincoln uses words like "altogether", and "saving...without war" to again express to his audience that he is hear to help mend the nation right along side the American people, and mend it not with war, but with peace. Finally Lincoln mentions yet more ethos when he says, "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 nations wounds..." Lincoln uses words such as "us", and "for all" to express togetherness, focusing on both his audience and himself as one.

While Lincoln uses his credibility to get through to his audience, he also uses his own personal emotions to get through to his people, and relate to how they are feeling. He does this with various pathos scattered throughout his speech. When Lincoln says, "All dreaded it, all sought to avert it." speaking of the effect of the civil war, he mentions he feels about the aftermath of the war, and how