Lincoln, the American

This 1919 address by Illinois Governor Frank O. Lowden reimagines Abraham Lincoln as a moral philosopher whose ethical vision offers an antidote to the cynicism that nearly destroyed the world. Delivered in the wake of the Great War, the speech directly contrasts Lincoln's belief in moral law with what Lowden sees as the Darwinian "survival of the fittest" philosophy that he argues fueled German militarism and the conflict itself. Lowden argues that Lincoln's genius lay not in policy but in his insistence that every political question is fundamentally a moral one. Through readings of Lincoln's speeches and reflections on his life, Lowden constructs an argument that feels urgent: nations, like individuals, are governed by ethical laws, and ignoring them leads to catastrophe. For readers interested in how Lincoln has been invoked as a moral compass across American history, this address captures a pivotal moment when Americans were grappling with what their victory meant and what values should guide the post-war world.