The Covenant of Abraham Lincoln
Its Enduring Impact on America and the World
By Gregory Mattison
Introduction
Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, is revered for his unwavering commitment to the ideals of liberty, equality, and democracy. His leadership during one of the most challenging periods in American history, the Civil War, not only preserved the Union but also laid the foundation for a more just and united nation. The covenant he symbolically signed with the American people, encapsulated in the Gettysburg Address, continues to inspire and resonate with modern America. A recommitment to these principles would have profound implications for the United States and the world at large.
The Covenant of Abraham Lincoln
In November 1863, during the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery at Gettysburg, President Lincoln delivered a brief but profound speech that became one of the most enduring declarations of American principles. In it, he emphasized the core values of liberty, equality, and democracy, stating that “government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” This speech represented a solemn covenant, a promise to uphold these values at all costs.
Impact on America
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Reaffirming National Unity
Recommitting to Lincoln’s covenant would strengthen the bonds of national unity. The United States has faced deep divisions in recent years, but embracing the principles of the Gettysburg Address can help heal these wounds. A renewed commitment to “a more perfect union” could lead to increased bipartisan cooperation and a sense of common purpose.
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Advancing Civil Rights
Lincoln’s commitment to equality is a beacon for the ongoing struggle for civil rights. A recommitment to these ideals would energize efforts to combat racial injustice, discrimination, and inequality. It could serve as a catalyst for further progress in areas such as voting rights, criminal justice reform, and equal access to education.
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Strengthening Democracy
The principle of “government of the people, by the people” is at the heart of American democracy. Recommitting to Lincoln’s covenant means a commitment to enhancing the democratic process, ensuring transparency, and promoting civic engagement. It would help restore faith in the democratic institutions of the nation.
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Fostering International Relations
America’s commitment to the principles of the Gettysburg Address can have a positive impact on international relations. By embodying democratic values, the United States can serve as a model for other nations striving for self-governance, freedom, and equality. It can lead global efforts to address critical issues like climate change and economic inequality.
Impact on the Rest of the World
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Promoting Democracy Abroad
America’s recommitment to Lincoln’s covenant would reinvigorate its role as a promoter of democracy worldwide. By demonstrating a genuine commitment to democratic principles at home, the United States can better influence other nations in their pursuit of democracy and human rights. This would be particularly significant in regions grappling with authoritarianism and instability.
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Strengthening Global Alliances
A return to the ideals of the Gettysburg Address could reinforce America’s alliances with like-minded nations. Shared values and common principles serve as the foundation for international cooperation, making it easier to address global challenges, such as terrorism, pandemic response, and security.
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Inspiring Global Citizenship
The impact of America recommitting to Lincoln’s covenant is not limited to international diplomacy. It would inspire individuals and communities worldwide to champion the ideals of liberty, equality, and democracy. This global community of citizens committed to these principles could work together to address transnational issues, from poverty and hunger to the existence of human-related climate change and its policy impact on the people of this world if implemented.
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Countering Authoritarianism
The rise of authoritarian regimes across the world poses a significant challenge to the principles of democracy and freedom. America’s reaffirmation of its commitment to these principles can serve as a counterforce to the spread of authoritarianism, providing support and encouragement to those who seek self-determination and human rights.
Conclusion
Abraham Lincoln’s covenant, enshrined in the Gettysburg Address, remains a powerful symbol of American ideals. A recommitment to these principles can reinvigorate the nation, foster unity, and reestablish the United States as a champion of democracy and freedom on the world stage. The impact of such a commitment would extend far beyond America’s borders, inspiring a more just, equitable, and democratic world. As the world faces complex challenges, a return to the principles of Abraham Lincoln offers a path forward toward a better future for all.
Weblink to Beck’s 40 Day Program: https://www.glennbeck.com/blog/glenns-the-first-40-days-guide
The American Covenant
By President Lincoln of the United States of America.
A Proclamation (the American Covenant)
Whereas, the Senate of the United States, devoutly recognizing the Supreme Authority and just Government of Almighty God, in all the affairs of men and of nations, has, by a resolution, requested the President to designate and set apart a day for National prayer and humiliation.
And whereas it is the duty of nations as well as of men, to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions, in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.
And, insomuch as we know that, by His divine law, nations like individuals are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world, may we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war, which now desolates the land, may be but a punishment, inflicted upon us, for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole People? We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us!
It behooves us then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.
Now, therefore, in compliance with the request, and fully concurring in the views of the Senate, I do, by this my proclamation, designate and set apart Thursday, the 30th. day of April, 1863, as a day of national humiliation, fasting and prayer. And I do hereby request all the People to abstain, on that day, from their ordinary secular pursuits, and to unite, at their several places of public worship and their respective homes, in keeping the day holy to the Lord, and devoted to the humble discharge of the religious duties proper to that solemn occasion.
All this being done, in sincerity and truth, let us then rest humbly in the hope authorized by the Divine teachings, that the united cry of the Nation will be heard on high, and answered with blessings, no less than the pardon of our national sins, and the restoration of our now divided and suffering Country, to its former happy condition of unity and peace.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.
Done at the City of Washington, this thirtieth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty seventh.
By the President: Abraham Lincoln
William H. Seward, Secretary of State.
About
Author - Greg Mattison
Greg Mattison has been politically active for 30 years. He is a Constitutional Conservative. GOD, Family, and Country are his priorities. He has worked in the corporate world for energy efficiency for over 30 years. He has also started and operated several businesses of his own and is currently founding a new venture, Efficiency Partners, LLC.
He is married for 39 years and has two adult children.
Paul Revere 2.0
