Essay about Abraham Lincoln as a Dangerous Speaker

Many people remember President Abraham Lincoln as being a very gifted orator as well as a dignified leader of our country. Through his many speeches and writings, Abraham Lincoln captivated American minds and gained millions of followers. In Lincolns Perpetuation speech, given before the Young Mens Lyceum of Springfield, Illinois, in 1838, Lincoln himself stated that our country was in great danger. He speaks of people such as Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar and Napoleon and then asks, Is it unreasonable to expect , that some man possessed of the loftiest genius, coupled with ambition sufficient to push it to its utmost stretch, will at some time, spring up among us? (Grafton, page 7). In this, he shares his fear that some†¦show more content†¦This can be seen as a threat. Some presidents, Lincoln specifically, could use their power to do whatever they wanted. This power can be used to different degrees. A modern day example of the Presidential misuse of power is the Bill Clinton scandal. Lincoln, in the peoples eyes, was known as Honest Abe, and was trusted not to use his power to his advantage, although he very easily could have. Lincoln had the ambition and the talent to be a very powerful man. Abraham Lincoln was a great orator as well. Lincoln had a talent for expression and he was by nature a literary artist. He was greater than an orator. He had a gift with his pen, and that was the tool that he used to gain tremendous support from the people. He spoke to people, just throughout his daily activities, and one can see that he had very great confidence in himself and wanted to spread his ideals out into the American public. In 1838 he carried his enthusiasm with him on his visits to the office of the county clerk. He would come into the clerks office where I and some young men were writing and staying, the unnamed friend recalled, and would bring the Bible with him; would read a chapter and argue against it, (Current {The Lincoln...}, page 58) . This shows how Lincoln liked to spread his ideals. It also shows how Lincoln is trying to undermine the most cherished and followed book of more than half ofShow MoreRelatedPoem Analysis: O Captain! My Captain! by Walt Whitman Essays568 Words   |  3 PagesThe poem basically tells a story about the death of the captain of a ship men crew. The speaker of the poem is a sailor of the ship crew. He grieves mournfully about the death of his respectfully captain. Gloomy and dreary atmospheres are vividly sensed throughout the poem as the speaker lamenting the captain’s death. The poem begins with the speaker calling out his captain that they have finally made it home after their â€Å"fearful trip†. 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