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Lincoln wanted the population to understand that although the Union was days away from total victory, this should not be a cause for celebration. He wanted the mood to be the right one when the war ended so he and the country could go about the difficult task of mending the split and the country.
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Lincoln's first inaugural address was on MArch 4, 1861!!
in the Gettysburg Address, saving the union is the purpose of the war
Lincoln's second inaugural address was created in 1865.
President Abraham Lincoln spent a good portion of his 1861 inaugural address on the issue of secession. That part of his speech took the form of a detailed legal brief denying the constitutionality of secession. His words dovetailed the illegality of secession with his oath as president to hold, occupy and posses the property and places belonging to the US government. He equated secession with anarchy.