Lincoln’s War against the Declaration

by Joel Taylor

The Gettysburg Address is so full of holes when compared with the Declaration of Independence that I do not see how anyone can miss what Lincoln did. A close examination shows us that the Address is the foundation, the new constitution, of the nation in which we now live. It did away with the Declaration of Independence and the original Constitution, and it formed a new nation, a nation dedicated to empire building — enforcing its will on all others. We have seen many examples during our lifetime of Lincoln’s new nation’s goal of subduing all to its will; such as the Ten Commandments issue in Alabama, the Florida election, gun control measures, etc. All these establish Federal control over the local states. Lincoln’s Federal nation believes it has the right to enforce its will upon the states, and, if necessary, will use military might to enforce its will. Here are a few of the obvious statements showing Lincoln’s overthrow of the nation founded by the Declaration of Independence, a nation no longer in existence.

First, our fathers did not bring forth on this continent a new nation. Lincoln brought forth that new nation. Our fathers brought forth thirteen new nations. The union of those thirteen individual and independent nations was known as these united States, not this United States. America was conceived as thirteen individual nations, united together for their common good. But Lincoln’s War forced the individual nations into one nation, quite contrary to what our fathers fought and died to give us.

Second, that nation was not dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal; that is, founded so all people would have equal rights. The common unity of the original thirteen individual and independent nations was over the problem of oppressive government intervention. Read “The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America as presented in Congress, July 4, 1776.” (Note the name tells us that the Declaration was by thirteen united States located in America.) The complaints of the thirteen independent nation-states against the oppressions of the King of Great Britain sound very much like the complaints of the fifty states against the Federal Government established by Lincoln.

Lincoln’s war was to forcibly subdue the individual nations to the centralized power of the Federal Government, and make them bow to the will of Washington. On the other hand, the War for Independence was to free the individual nations from the centralized power of Great Britain, so they would not have to bow to the will of the King. Lincoln replaced Britain’s King with Washington’s King. Lincoln’s War changed America from these united States (plural) with self-rule, to the United States (singular) with centralized Federal rule. [This was corporatized with the Act of 1871]

Third, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. As the victor in the war to remove the independence of the nation-states, he had the last word, and he used it to rewrite history. Reading the Declaration of Independence, one cannot find that the nation destroyed by Lincoln was conceived and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Though the fathers did hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, one will not find in their Facts submitted to the candid world to justify their war for independence anything about a desire to have equal rights. It is called The Declaration of Independence, not The Declaration of Equal Rights for All.

Fourth, gave their lives that that nation might live. The South, not the North, gave their lives that the original union made up of individual nation-states might live. That nation Lincoln refers to was not the nation formed out of the war against the King of Great Britain. That war was for independence from the King’s centralized control. Lincoln’s war was to enslave the individual nation-states to the new King’s centralized control, the Federal Government.

Fifth, never forget what they did here… As we see the South’s battle flag held up by people around the world as they struggle to be free from the centralized powers that hold them in bondage, they certainly remember what was done at Gettysburg, but not in the way Lincoln presented the action. They remember that it was a lost battle for the cause of independence and liberty and against empire building.

Sixth, dedicated here to the unfinished work… Yes, Lincoln had to leave the work of the centralization of all power to the Federal Government unfinished, but there have been many presidents since who have continued the unending work. Resistance to that grab for centralized power results in the same thing that the South’s resistance resulted in. Just look at Iraq.

Seventh, this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom… The hypocrisy is astounding. The War was to stamp out freedom, not promote it. The War was to hold the nation-states in subjection, not to protect their individual liberties to establish their own laws within their borders. The War for Independence upon which the nation destroyed by Lincoln’s war was founded was for freedom from tyranny. It was a war against centralized power, so the nation-states could have self-rule.

Why did God motivate Lincoln to destroy the nation that was founded in His name? Only He knows the answer to that question.

The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law. (Deuteronomy 29:29.)

The secret things belong to the Lord, and only He knows the answers. Our responsibility is to do all the words of His law, and leave the rest up to Him. He will work history according to His good pleasure. – Joel Taylor