亞伯拉罕‧林肯 (Abraham Lincoln) 於1861年3月4日就職總統

1861年的3月4日星期一，對亞伯拉罕‧林肯，還有全美國來說，今天是個大日子。那天早上，他和即將卸任的詹姆士‧布坎南 (James Buchanan) 總統一起搭乘馬車離開白宮附近的威拉飯店 (Willard Hotel) ，前往國會大廈。下午1點過後不久，最高法院首席 大法官羅傑‧塔尼 (Roger B. Taney) 主持了總統就職宣誓儀式。當他唸完誓詞之後，林肯正式成為美國第16任總統。他的演講是非常重要的，因為他不但是以美國新總統的身份演講，同時也是以一個處於危機時刻的國家領袖身份來演講。林肯有著充分的準備。在準備就職演說時，他早已經尋求各方的意見與協助，以便能夠傳達出最正確的訊息。


Monday, March 4, 1861, was a big day for Abraham Lincoln and for America. That morning, he and outgoing President James Buchanan left the Willard Hotel, which is nearby the White House, in a horse-drawn carriage bound for the Capitol. Shortly after 1 p.m., Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Roger B. Taney administered the presidential oath of office. With the swearing of his official vows, Lincoln became the 16th president of the United States. His speech was a very important one because he would be speaking not only as the new president but also as the leader of a nation in crisis. Lincoln was well prepared. He had sought lots of help to deliver the right message in his inaugural address.

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