streets of
Askalon; peace with honor; the Arabian Nights; Munchausen; the
fathers; our globe-encircling domain; I am a Democrat; the pirates of
the Barbary Coast; Democratic gospel pure and undefiled; Janus-faced
double; Good Lord, good devil; all things to all men; God-fearing
patriots; come what may; all things are fair in love or war; the
silken bowstring; the unwary voter; bait to catch gudgeons; to live by
or to die by; these obsequious courtiers; Guttenburg; rubber stamp; at
all hazards; the most unkindest cut of all.

With the artificiality, the stiltedness of the foregoing contrast the
simplicity, the sincerity of these two extracts from Abraham Lincoln.

And now, if they would listen--as I suppose they will not--I
would address a few words to the Southern people.

I would say to them: You consider yourselves a reasonable and
a just people; and I consider that in the general qualities
of reason and justice you are not inferior to any other
people. Still, when you speak of us Republicans, you do so
only to denounce us as reptiles, or, at the best, as no
better than outlaws. You will grant a hearing to pirates or
murderers, but nothing like it to "Black Republicans." In all
your contentions with one another, each of you deems an
unconditional condemnation of "Black Republicanism" as the
first thing to be attended to. Indeed, such condemnation of
us seems to be an indispensable prerequisite--license, so to
speak--among you to be admitted or permitted to speak at all.
Now can you or not be prevailed upon to pause and to consider
whether this is quite just to us, or even to yourselves?
Bring forward your charges and specifications, and then be
patient long enough to hear us deny or justify.

_Cooper Union Speech_, 1860

My Friends: No one, not in my situation, can appreciate my
feeling of sadness at this parting. To this place, and the
kindness of these people, I owe everything. Here I have lived
a quarter of a century, and have passed from a young to an
old man. Here my children have been born, and one is buried.
I now leave, not knowing when or whether ever I may return,
with a task before me greater than that which rested upon
Washington. Without the assistance of that Divine Being who
ever attended him, I cannot succeed. With that assistance I
cannot fail. Trusting in Him who can go with me,