美國前總統亞伯拉罕．林肯（Abraham Lincoln）
美國雜誌——《大西洋月刊》（Atlantic Monthly）21 日公布對美國歷史影響最大的100名美國人，結果顯示，贏得南北戰爭、結束奴隸制的美國前總統亞伯拉罕．林肯（Abraham Lincoln）名列第一。這份名單是由10位著名歷史學家票選而出。
《大西洋月刊》邀請10位著名歷史學家列出他們心目中認為對美國歷史影響最大的100名美國人。
進入前10名的還包括：美國前總統喬治．華盛頓、前總統托馬斯．傑斐遜、前總統伍德羅．威爾遜、前總統富蘭克林．D．羅斯福和黑人民權領袖馬丁．路德．金。
此外，進榜的知名人物還包括，馬克·吐溫、惠特曼、美國樂壇巨星鮑勃·迪倫、高爾夫名將「老虎」伍茲、消費者權益宣傳家拉爾夫·納德爾等。
《大西洋月刊》的編輯在一份聲明中表示，評選的目的是為了激勵民眾進行討論：「誰影響了美國、如何影響」。
林肯生於1809年，是美國第16任總統。在其總統任內，美國爆發內戰，史稱南北戰爭。林肯廢除了奴隸制度，擊敗了南方分離勢力，維護了國家的統一。
1862年9月22日，林肯頒布《解放黑奴宣言》，在廢除奴隸制度的道路上邁了一大步。他後來曾說：「在一生中，我確信，我未做過比簽署此宣言更加正確的決定。」
美國歷史學家稱華盛頓為國父，林肯為國家的拯救者。
林肯的第二任總統就職演說
這篇演說的講稿永久的刻在了林肯紀念堂裡，英文原文是：
At this second appearing to take the oath of the presidential office，there is less occasion for an extended address than there was at the first. Then a statement，somewhat in detail，of a course to be pursued，seemed fitting and proper. Now，at the expiration of four years，during which public declarations have been constantly called forth on every point and phase of the great contest which still absorbs the attention，and engrosses the energies of the nation，little that is new could be presented. The progress of our arms，upon which all else chiefly depends，is as well known to the public as to myself; and it is，I trust，reasonably satisfactory and encouraging to all. With high hope for the future，no prediction in regard to it is ventured.
On the occasion corresponding to this four years ago，all thoughts were anxiously directed to an impending civil war. All dreaded it--all sought to avert it. While the inaugeral address was being delivered from this place，devoted altogether to saving the Union without war，insurgent agents were in the city seeking to destroy it without war--seeking to dissole the Union，and divide effects，by negotiation. Both parties deprecated war; but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive; and the other would accept war rather than let it perish. And the war came.
One eighth of the whole population were colored slaves，not distributed generally over the Union，but localized in the Southern part of it. These slaves constituted a peculiar and powerful interest. All knew that this interest was，somehow，the cause of the war. To strengthen，perpetuate，and extend this interest was the object for which the insurgents would rend the Union，even by war; while the government claimed no right to do more than to restrict the territorial enlargement of it. Neither party expected for the war，the magnitude，or the duration，which it has already attained. Neither anticipated that the cause of the conflict might cease with，or even before，the conflict itself should cease.
Each looked for an easier triumph，and a result less fundamental and astounding. Both read the same Bible，and pray to the same God; and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God's assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men's faces; but let us judge not that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered; that of neither has been answered fully. The Almighty has his own purposes. "Woe unto the world because of offences！ for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh！" If we shall suppose that American Slavery is one of those offences which，in the providence of God，must needs come，but which，having continued through His appointed time，He now wills to remove，and that He gives to both North and South，this terrible war，as the woe due to those by whom the offence came，shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a Living God always ascribe to Him? Fondly do we hope--fervently do we 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 bond-man'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，as was said three thousand years ago，so still it must be said "the judgments of the Lord，are true and righteous altogether"
With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right，as God gives us to see the right，let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle，and for his widow，and his orphan--to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace，among ourselves，and with all nations.
最後兩段譯文：
(交戰)每一方都在尋求一個快速的、不傷根本的勝利。雙方都讀同一本聖經，向同一位上帝禱告，求祂的幫助。看起來真是奇怪：一些人竟企求上帝讓別人流汗而使自己可以得到麵包；但是，不要讓我們論斷，如果我們自己不想被論斷的話。雙方的禱告不會同時被回答，任何一方的禱告也不會被完全應允。全能的神自有其旨意。「禍哉世界！因著必來之罪；禍哉此人，罪因其而來。」如果我們假設，美國奴隸制度乃是眾罪之一，此罪到了期限，神便定意除去這個制度，引發這一場可怖的南北戰爭，因為災降於那些罪因其而來的人身上，如同以往聖徒所描寫的神的屬性，神的作為難道會有任何偏差嗎？我們熱切地盼望--恆切地禱告--這場懲罰性的戰爭得以迅速地遠離我們而去。然而，如果神定意讓戰爭持續下去，直到我們從所有奴隸在兩百五十年間沒有報酬、困苦勞動之下所累積的財富毀去，及直到每一滴皮鞭上的血跡被報之以刀下每一條冤魂，就如同我們在三千年前所說，而今天仍要再說的那樣：「主的審判信實，合乎公義。」
不以惡待人，而以仁愛相處。當神開啟我們的眼，得見公義時，我們必須持守公義。讓我們全力以赴，完成我們手中的工作，醫治國家的創傷；並照料在戰場上承受苦痛的人，和那些寡婦、孤兒，不忘記關懷他們 - 讓我們竭盡全力，達成在我們中間，及眾民族之間的永久的公義和和平。
簡單統計：
講演總字數：699
提到上帝次數：10(God: 6; The Almighty: 1; Lord: 1; He: 2)
提到禱告次數：3
提到聖經次數：1
引用聖經次數：2
所以只要讀一下這篇講演，就會知道林肯是怎樣一位敬畏上帝，祈求上帝帶領的人了！就如林肯傳記《公民林肯》 (Lincoln the Citizen)的作者惠特尼(Henry Whitney)所總結的：「(這篇演講是)一串向神連綿不斷的祈求，求祂對我們這個如火如荼的國家伸出援手。」
這篇講演發生在 1865年3月4號上午，當時在現場的記者Noah Brooks寫到：「Just at that moment the sun，which had been obscured all day，burst forth in its unclouded meridian splendor，and flooded the spectacle with glory and with light……was already standing in the shadow of death.」(林肯登臺的一瞬間，陽光衝出了已盤踞了一整天的雲層，放射出驚人的景象，榮耀和光輝如洪水般湧來……而此時，林肯已經站在了死亡的陰影之中。) -- 僅僅40天後，即同年4月15號，林肯在劇院裡被謀殺了。
其實早年的林肯是一個無神論者，作為政治家，認為財富和權力更為重要。然而，隨著美國內戰戰局的發展，林肯越來越感受到上帝的主權和公義，越來越依靠神，承認自己和人的無能為力，開始把國家的命運交託在神的手裡。
例如，在1862年9月，在一個本來看似樂觀的形勢下，北方軍卻經歷了在Bull Run的第二次戰役的徹底失敗，林肯開始認真的反思這次戰爭，並且考慮解放黑奴的具體計畫。這時，他寫下了「Meditation on the Divine Will」(對神旨意的思想)的文章。英文原文是：「The will of God prevails. In great contests each party claims to act in accordance with the will of God. Both may be，and one must be，wrong. God can not be for and against the same thing at the same time. In the present civil war it is quite possible that God's purpose is something different from the purpose of either party-and yet the human instrumentalities，working just as they do，are of the best adaptation to affect His purpose.」翻譯是：「上帝的旨意必成就。在內戰中，雙方都認為自己所行的符合上帝的旨意，但至少有一方是錯的，因為上帝不可能自相矛盾。上帝的旨意不同於我們的目標，但是上帝使用我們作為器皿成就祂的旨意。」
在林肯將被謀殺的最後時刻，據D. James Kennedy的《What if the Bible had never been written》一書，林肯坐在戲院裡，對妻子瑪麗說的最後的話是：「你知道我現在想做什麼嗎？我想帶你到中東去旅行。」 「我們要去祂(主耶穌)誕生的伯利恆。我們要拜訪伯大尼，隨著那條聖潔腳蹤所行過的路途走。然後我們上耶路(耶路撒冷)……」
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