Lincoln's now-famous speeh.. what does he mean?

Question

"A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved --I do not expect the house to fall--but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing, or all the other."

I've read it at least 3 times and still can't decipher it. Any ideas or help?

Answer 1

To begin with, the key expression was not Lincoln's own invention. As people hearing it would have known (since biblical quotes and allusions were common in public speeches of the day), he was quoting the words of Jesus in the gospels.
"if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand." (Mark 3:24-25)

Jesus is here mocking the claim that he is casting out demons by Satan's power, for why would Satan (and his kingdom) deliberately fight against himself!? But Lincoln is simply drawing on the more literal picture in Jesus' metaphor -- of a house (or KINGDOM! that is a nation)

As for exactly what Lincoln was referring to -- these lines are sometimes misunderstood, because people miss the original context of Lincoln's speech. So, first of all, remember to look at the whole speech.
Read it here: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h2934t.html

Second note the CONTEXT. Lincoln did NOT deliver this speech as President (as some seem to be thinking), nor when running for President, but when he accepted the nomination of Illinois Republicans to run against Stephen Douglas for the U.S. Senate. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln's_House_Divided_Speech

The date was June 16, 1858. One of the leading debates of the time was the Dred Scott decision which had basically concluded that slavery could NOT effectively be barred anywhere in the U.S., since Scott was judged to still be a slave even after living in a free state. This speech is especially a CRITICISM of the position and actions of his rival for the sea, Senator Stephen Douglas. Lincoln argues that the policies Douglas had advocated and enacted had utterly failed to resolve the "slavery agitation", but had only made matters worse. In particular, the actions of Congress (including the Senate), the Democratic Presidents (Pierce and Buchanan), and the Dred Scott decision, were effectively pushing the nation toward being all SLAVE, that is, making slavery LEGAL in all states.

In short, Lincoln, is not only saying that the nation must eventually either be all free (slavery eventually dying out where it currently was practiced) or all slave (that is, slavery legal everywhere, no matter what the people of that state might want). He was arguing a Democratic conspiracy to make the nation "all slave(holding)" !

But, of course, he was running to in order to fight for the OPPOSITE -- that is the Republican position, which sought the eventual end of slavery by preventing its EXPANDING into free states and territories. (Note this was the 'mainstream' Republican position -- for "free soil", NOT advocating that the nation force states to abolish slavery where it currently existed, but expecting it to naturally die out in those places if it remained 'contained'.)

See also
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h2934.html

Answer 2

The greatness of Lincoln's oratorial skills lied in his ability to state in clear and simple terms the great moral conflicts of his day. His analogies worked both literally and figuratively which meant most all of the people of his day who read or heard his words understood the point Lincoln sought to make.

To decipher Lincoln's speach, you must first and foremost recognize that it was a POLITICAL speech. He was seeking to assert his leadership abilities as well as invoke his more authority in anticipation of becoming a national leader.

The "House" Lincoln spoke of was primarily the Legislature. There was minimal divisiveness in the Executive Branch but there were discernible lines of North vs. South thinking in the Judiciary (i.e. Justice Taney). Until Lincoln and the Civil War, the Legislature was thought to be the most powerful branch of government which had been one of the purposeful designs of the founders.

Salvery per se was NOT the issue dividing the Nation when the speech was given. The root of the House conflict was based in the problme of more States joining the Union. The majority of the incoming States were likely to side with the North. Because of growing congressional representation from the North and equal numbers of new Senators, the southern leadership quickly and accurately saw that before too long, the Legislature would pass laws that completely favored the North's views and eroded the South's economic base through taxes, levies, and acts governing interstate commerce.

Slavery was the easiest to understand economic factor that differentiated the South from the North therefore it caught the most headlines.

Remember, in 1789 when the US Constitution was established, a compromise agreement that placed a moratorium on outlawing slavery for 20 years enable the Constitution to be ratified. Slavery was a major problem long before the 1850's.

Lincoln was ultimately referring to the soul of America; that which guides and governs right from wrong. To the President, preserving the Union was more important than his moral indignation of slavery.

Answer 3

Lincoln is referring the United States of America to a house. In the first sentence he means that the country is half slavery and half anti-slavery and is fighting internally. In the second sentence he means that he doesn't think the country can survive as long as it is split half one way and half the other. In the third sentence he means he is giving the country courage that it will survive as one country. In the forth sentence it basically just sums the whole thing up by saying if we don't act now it could be fatal in the life of our country.
I think this is an awesome speech and was extremely well written especially with the comparisons.

Answer 4

Geez, he's not talking about republicans and democrats. Lincoln's "house" is the United States. He is talking about the issue of slavery dividing the nation, e.g., the North and the South. With regard to "all one thing..." In essence, it will have to be one way or the other. Either all of the country will have slavery or none will have it. Slavery was one reason for the Civil War. With the Union winning, and the emancipation proclamation, there was no more slavery, though remnants of it remained for quite awhile (share croppers).

Answer 5

It means the free north and slave south are the house divided and they cannot continue that way forever.And he didn't think the country would end because it would eventually be all free of all slave.

Answer 6

The nation will become all free or all slave holding, as it can not endure as a government divided between a slave holding section and a free section.

Answer 7

It means that the government cannot function adequately without the nation being unified on the issue of slavery.

Answer 8

there were many people who opposed the war as they were sympathetic to the Southern Cause ( Copperheads ) and without the support of the entire U.S. Government Mr. Lincoln knew the Southern States had a very good chance of winning.

Answer 9

the house is the government. In modern terms he was asking the democrats and republicans to compromise. if they dont the house will fall.