Political Quotes

“I want to recognize the work of organizers in Springfield, IL, who are kicking off the national Civil War Sesquicentennial observation by reading President Abraham Lincoln's ``Farewell Address'' on the 150th anniversary of its original delivery. The speech will be reenacted in Springfield and individuals across the Nation are invited to join them online for a simultaneous reading of it. Organizers hope to set a Guinness World Record for the most people reading aloud from the same document simultaneously. This year marks the sesquicentennial of two momentous chapters in our national history: President Abraham Lincoln's inauguration and the beginning of the Civil War. Two years ago, we celebrated the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln's birth. As part of that earlier celebration, the Library of Congress displayed a remarkable collection of Lincoln artifacts. They included copies, written in Lincoln's own hand, of his first and second inaugural addresses and his immortal Gettysburg Address. Also included was a copy of President Lincoln's poignant ``Farewell Address'' to Springfield, his adopted home, on February 11, 1861. More than a thousand residents came out that day to wish Mr. Lincoln goodbye as he headed to Washington to become President. He delivered his remarks extemporaneously: My friend--No one, not in my situation, can appreciate my feeling of sadness at this parting. To this place, and the kindness of these people, I owe every thing.…”