LAD #21

 

In Andrew Carnegie's piece "Wealth" from North American View, he discusses the proper way that society might go about leveling the uneual distribution of wealth. This is his "Gospel of Wealth." Though one might expect the billionaire to horde his riches and protect them from the public, Carnegie urges his fellow business tycoons to donate parts of their income. He says that the elevation of a minority above the living standard is a natural progression of society, but that returning some of those earnings to the public will benefit society as a whole. To prove this, he analyzes three modes by which fortunes are spent. First, he discusses those that spend the money on themselves during their lifetimes and leave the rest of their fortunes to their families. This is not only selfish according to Carnegie, but a burden on the family. The children of these billionaires often lose their fortune. In this way, the fortunes are not best kept in the hands of the few. The second option involves a death tax, in which the government takes money from the estates of the wealthy upon their death in the form of a tax. Surprisingly, Carnegie supports the idea of a death tax, though he does not see it as the most effective way to distribute wealth. He argues that the death tax is a beneficial thing because it brings money back to the public, but notes that time is wasted during the lifetime of the billionaire to do public good with the money. This brings him to his final point: Wealthy individuals should be philanthropists throughout their lifetime. In this way, everyone is able to benefit from the fortune and it is the responsibility of the few who have political power to see that this happens. The distribution of wealth throughout a tycoons lifetime would be society's equalizer in an age where the gap between the rich and poor was widening.

LAD #20

Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation freed all slaves in states in open rebellion with the Federal Government of the United States. According to Lincoln, this was a measure of "military necessity." States would be found in open rebellion if they did not have an elected representative in Congress on January 1 following the speech. The states that had chosen to secede would fall under this category. Slaves held by individuals in Border States or areas where the President sought to retain political support would not be freed by the proclamation. Through this statement it becomes clear that Lincoln saw value in the addition of ex-slaves to his military force. Freed slaves were not only encouraged to pursue fair employment opportunities, but were informed that they would be openly recieved by the Government's armed services. This document would come at the turning point of the war and would be met by criticism from many fronts.

LAD #19

 



President Lincoln's Second Inaugual Address reiterated his previous statements concerning unification. The South had chosen to secede and pursued military action in order to protect its interests. The noble North had accepted military aggression as the necessary evil needed to preserve the Union. War would have to precede peace. The states needed to reunite, according to Lincoln, and all individuals involved in the conflict were American. Bearing this in mind, Lincoln attempted to rally the battered North around a common cause and urged his constituents to perservere and support the war effort. He did this by adding a religious element to the war. Lincoln declared that God allowed for the violent, domestic conflict because it served as reparation for the offense of slavery. The issue of slavery would be resolved in His eyes by the Civil War and should be continued until He was satisfied. It is also important to note that Lincoln did not address the states' rights issues that had contributed to the start of the Civil War. The cause of the war, as cited by Lincoln in this address, stemmed from issues over slavery. The Government had wished only to stop the limit expansion of the practice, while the South had wished to spread the instituion across the nation.

LAD #18

 

Justice Nelson was originally designated as the writer for the case Scott v. Sanford, but it became clear that his verdict was based soley on his own opinions and biases. His responsibility passed to Justice Taney. Before a decision was reached, President-elect James Buchanon contacted his supporters in the Supreme Court and tried to learn of the verdict of the Scott v. Sanford case. He wanted to speak of it in his inaugural address. By the time he had to deliver it, he knew what the decision was, and openly supported the Supreme Court ruling "whatever it may be." Chief Justice Roger. B Taney's decision in regards to the case Scott v. Sanford rendered the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional and further established that slaves were property.  The case was actually dismissed by Taney at the Supreme Court level for lacking jurisdiction. Dred Scott, who was essentially suing for his freedom, was denied the "privlege of suing in a court of the United States" because he was not an American citizen. This would be a huge blow to the abolitionist movement because it provided a legal excuse for racial inequality. After coming to this must awaited conclusion, Taney analyzed the Missouri Compromise. It was found unconstitutional because it restricted American freedoms designated by the Bill of Rights, namely freedom of speech and the right of slaveholders to their right to property in all states. For this reason, a state's slavery policy would have to be determined by popular sovereignty. Taney also decided that a slave who spent time in a free state was still the property of his master. This lawsuit, which was intended to bring about more equality, was actually a step backward in the anti-slavery movement.

LAD #17

 

Sojourner Truth's support of the women's rights movement came through in her speech "Ain't I a Woman?" However, ths speech also highlights the larger volumes of injustices born by African American women within the movement. In the eyes of Truth, the white man holds the white woman to some level of respect. He helps her into carriages, lifts her over ditches, and ensures that she has "the best place everywhere." These courtesies do not extend to the African American woman, who toils endlessly in her master's fields and whose children are ripped from her arms. Equality is deserved in both regards: gender and race. In the spirit of the women's rights movement as a whole, Truth said that God came from a woman and that "man had nothing to do with Him." According to Truth, this reason alone must justify women's equality in the man's mind. She goes further and alludes to the Bible again. This time, she says that because Eve was able to "turn the world upside down all alone," a united front of women will certainly have the power to bring about women's equality. Truth calls for men to get out of their way.

LAD #16

In What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" Frederick Douglas brings forward the hypocrisy of the American people in regards to their ideal of liberty. The United States was established on the basic principles of freedom and equality. When asked to speak for the holiday, Douglas could not see how a nation dedicated to liberty, that worked in the international arena to extend democracy, could allow slavery within its borders. This practice went against not only the principle of liberty, but against the Bible, the Constitution, and nature. Douglas also noted that on the Fourth of July the oppression of slavery became pronounced. On the holiday, slaves would observe their masters celebrating independence. In doing so, it would become painfully obvious that the idea of freedom was understood and cherished by the American people, but that it was deliberately withheld from African Americans. African Americans were entitled to freedom. Not only was that a basic human right according to Douglas, but African Americans also accounted for a large percent of the American work force and contributed greatly to the development of the country. They were laborers, teachers, lawyers, doctors, and orators. Douglas concluded his speech by resolving to remain actively seized in the matter of abolition.
 

LAD #15

Lincoln's Gettsyburg Address is one of the most celebrated pieces of American rhetoric. In this speech, Lincoln called for unity between states in the midst of a violent civil conflict. To do so, he avoided speaking directly about the sectional tensions that had caused the war and the bloody battle that had occurred on the ground that he stood on. Instead, he focused on the abstract American ideals of liberty and brotherhood. He declared that the Civil War was a test on the American experiment. It would determine whether a democratic nation like the United States could survive. In doing so, he redefined the Civil War, making it into a continuation of the Revolutionary War, and urged his constituents to push forward. He honored those that had given their lives in the Battle of Gettysburg and encouraged the American people to not let them die in vain. This speech inspired the North to continue to their fight for democracy and set an example for future American prose.