Lincoln’s Lyceum Address, rewritten for an APUSH reading level by Chat GPT, January 2024

Address Before the Young Men's Lyceum of Springfield, Illinois January 27, 1838

In this discourse, I aim to elucidate the imperative of safeguarding our political institutions. Situated within the chronicles of events transpiring under the sun, we, the American People, find ourselves in possession of an enviable expanse of land, distinguished by territorial scope, soil fertility, and climatic salubrity. Governed by political institutions conducive to civil and religious liberties, our heritage is bestowed upon us by a valiant and patriotic yet departed ancestral lineage. Their noble endeavor was to acquire and bequeath this fertile land, erecting a political structure upon its hills and valleys dedicated to liberty and equal rights. Our responsibility is to transmit these unblemished to subsequent generations.

The question then arises: How do we fulfill this responsibility? Where should we anticipate peril, and how should we fortify against it? The specter of an overseas military juggernaut traversing the ocean to vanquish us is dismissed. The combined might of Europe, Asia, and Africa, commanded by a Buonaparte-like figure, would be impotent against our geographical barriers. The peril, if it arises, must emerge domestically. It cannot be of foreign origin. If our downfall is decreed, we must be its architects and executors. As a community of free citizens, our endurance through time or our self-annihilation hinges on our choices.

Although this may appear excessively cautious, there is presently a disconcerting trend among us—an escalating disdain for the law permeating the nation, a growing inclination to supplant judicious legal verdicts with unbridled passions, and the emergence of ruthless mobs in lieu of judicial authorities. This trend is disquieting in any society, and its existence in ours, though unpleasant to admit, is undeniable. Reports of mob violence saturate our news from New England to Louisiana, transcending geographical and ideological boundaries. Whatever the impetus, it is a malaise afflicting the entire nation.

While a comprehensive enumeration of atrocities may be tedious and futile, instances in Mississippi and St. Louis stand out as particularly perilous and repugnant. Mobs, commencing with the lynching of regular gamblers—an occupation, while not commendable, was legal and sanctioned by recent legislation—progressed to the hanging of suspected insurrectionist slaves, then to white citizens perceived as conspirators, and ultimately to strangers from neighboring states. The sequence culminated in lifeless bodies dangling from trees, adorning roadsides in numbers rivaling the native Spanish moss.

The question naturally arises, "What does this have to do with the perpetuation of our political institutions?" The nexus lies in the fact that these occurrences undermine the bedrock of our government. While the direct consequences of mob violence may seem inconsequential, they reverberate beyond, setting a perilous precedent and debasing the social fabric.

The portentous question then becomes: Where should we anticipate the approach of danger? The answer is unequivocal—it must emanate from within. Our own people, when disregarding the law, become architects of destruction. Thus, the challenge lies in understanding how we fortify against such internal threats.

The remedy is straightforward: Every American, an advocate of liberty and a well-wisher for posterity, must solemnly pledge allegiance to the laws of the land, tolerating no transgressions. Analogous to the patriots of 1776 supporting the Declaration of Independence, every American should devote their life, property, and sacred honor to the defense of the Constitution and laws. This commitment, akin to a political religion, must unite the nation across demographics.

Even in confronting disagreeable laws, the pledge necessitates their observance until their repeal, maintaining a moral stance while striving for change through legal means. There exists no justification for mob law, irrespective of grievances. Whether it be the dissemination of abolitionist ideals or any other issue, the interposition of mob justice is neither necessary, justifiable, nor excusable.

The tangible danger to our political institutions is manifest, not from external adversaries but from internal maladies. The fading memories of the revolutionary era necessitate the substitution of fallen pillars of liberty with new ones hewn from the quarry of sound reason, morality, and veneration for the constitution and laws.

In concluding, let these principles serve as the bastion of our freedom, impervious as the rock upon which it stands, for, as asserted, "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."