Lincoln's BD 3

(cont'd from yesterday's post)

So America was on the path to the end of slavery, paying a high price for it. Well over 600,000 soldiers died in the Civil War, more than in any other war in our history. Americans, including the president, were heartsick. 

Lincoln was re-elected in 1864 and gave his second inaugural address the following March. In these famous words, he seemed to say that the disastrous war was God's just (fair) retribution for the sin of slavery:

"[W]e pray that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword . . "the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether."

John Wilkes Booth murdered the president just 41 days later.