Farewell Address at Springfield
February 11, 1861
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
every thing. Here I have been 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, and remain with you and be every where for good, let
us confidently hope that all will yet be well. To His care commending
you, as I hope in your prayers you will commend me, I bid you an
affectionate farewell.
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
Abraham Lincoln
November 19. 1863