House divided with a 250th birthday wish

As our nation approaches its 250th birthday, Abraham Lincoln’s “A House Divided Cannot Stand” speech is as apropos today as it was in 1858–perhaps more so.  

Abraham Lincoln was not the first American to use this biblical reference. John Jay wrote about the dangers of divided Americans in Federalist No. 4. Abigail Adams used it in a letter during the War of 1812 to describe the risk of being subdued or beaten by the British. Sam Houston proclaimed in 1850, "A nation divided against itself cannot stand". 

Abraham Lincoln used the symbolism of a “House Divided” in his speech upon accepting the Illinois Republican Party nomination for the 1858 senatorial race against Stephen Douglas. Douglas supported allowing the people to determine their will via popular sovereignty, which would allow southern states to continue slavery. 

Thousands attended the seven Lincoln-Douglas debates, in which the two candidates debated many important national topics, including slavery. Douglas emerged as the victor of the election only to witness Lincoln elected president two years later. 

“A House Divided” is an enduring concept of unity spoken by Jesus in all three synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). Lincoln’s reliance on such was a means to urge unity of the Union in his acceptance speech during the Illinois Senate campaign of 1858. He addressed the growing crisis of slavery using the metaphor to argue that the United States could not remain "permanently half slave and half free” while warning about the growing division of the Union. 

In my opinion, it will not cease until a crisis shall have been reached and passed. "A house divided against itself cannot stand." I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free. 

I do not expect the Union to be dissolved -- I do not expect the house to fall -- but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other.  

It took a destructive four-year Civil War with horrible casualties on both sides to end slavery. When one combines all the casualties of all the other wars our nation fought, it pales in comparison to our Civil War. There were an estimated 1.5 million soldier and civilian casualties, and the effects of this devastating conflict are still with us today. 

Lincoln’s speech is over 3000 words. Like most of Lincoln’s speeches, it is worth reading in its entirety, especially during these divisive and troubling times. 

The speech was not well received. Lincoln’s law partner, William H. Herndon, considered the speech morally courageous but politically fatal and discouraged it. Lincoln replied, "The proposition is indisputably true ... and I will deliver it as written. I want to use some universally known figure, expressed in simple language as universally known, that it may strike home to the minds of men in order to rouse them to the peril of the times.” 

Reflecting on the speech after the Civil War, Herndon recognized that it rallied many Americans and helped elect Lincoln to the Presidency. "Through logic inductively seen," he said, "Lincoln as a statesman and political philosopher, announced an eternal truth -- not only as broad as America, but covers the world." 

Another colleague, Leonard Swett, said the speech defeated Lincoln in the 1858 Senate campaign but made him President in 1860. "Nothing could have been more unfortunate or inappropriate; it was saying first the wrong thing, yet he saw it was an abstract truth, but standing by the speech would ultimately find him in the right place." 

With the growing divide between political parties and Americans, will we continue to live in a house divided? Or will America find itself in the right place at the right time?  

Happy 250th birthday America. 

Tom Muri is a fifth generation Montanan and retired military JAG Officer, writing from Montana and Arizona. He grew up in Whitefish.