Farewell Address

Clearly shaken by his impending departure from his longtime home, Lincoln underlines his indebtedness to the city and the people living there. By identifying his audience as friends, he immediately imbues the speech with a sense of intimacy that will remain until the end. His grateful tone drives home the idea that he sees his years living in Springfield as inextricably linked with his election to the White House. In his view, the people standing before him helped bring about his success. He also reflects on the passage of time: when he states that Springfield saw him grow from a young to an old man, he is suggesting that the city and people of Springfield made him wise and competent.

After devoting the first part of his speech to a sentimental reflection on the past, Lincoln begins to look ahead. By comparing himself to George Washington, he again invokes age as a symbol of authority, since most portraits of Washington portray him as a distinguished older man with white hair. Just as the American people trusted Washington to lead the nation when it was newly independent from Great Britain after the American Revolution, the American people have put their trust in Lincoln to lead the nation through a period of escalating tension. In February of 1861, when Lincoln gave his Farewell Address, there was intense political and social conflict between northern and southern states over the issue of slavery. This conflict would erupt into the American Civil War just a couple of months after Lincoln gave this speech. Lincoln’s statement that his presidency will be more difficult than Washington’s gives a sense of his humility as well as his awareness of the challenges that await.