Abraham Lincoln's Understanding of the Nature of the Union: Secession,Slavery and the Philosophical Cause Statesmanship Thesis Recipient of the 2007 Charles E.Parton Award by Jason Stevens Introduction Lincoln entered the historical stage as he took the oath of office on March 4th,1861,faced with a task "greater than that which rested upon Washington."1 All American minds were engaged with that task,but some Southern hearts had already turned away. By the time Lincoln took office,seven states had already seceded and six of them had formed the Confederacy.More would soon follow.As he delivers his Farewell Address at Springfield,Illinois,Lincoln is fully aware that "a disruption of the Federal Union is now formidably attempted."2 A Republican president had been elected by a constitutional majority,and an expressed minority had resolved to secede rather than stay.3 Never before had this happened in the history of the young American republic. Secession had been threatened before,but this menacing force had subsided through the relaxation of passion,through the progression of time,and through the reconciling effect of compromise.During Andrew Jackson's presidency in 1832,South Carolina threatened to secede from the Union after Congress passed the protective tariff.What followed became known as the Nullification Crisis,testing whether a state can refuse to recognize or to enforce a federal law.Although a compromise was struck, and South Carolina did not secede,the question concerning whether or not a state can legally secede from the Union was never answered. Fifteen different men had come to occupy the office of president before Lincoln took office,and each of them had "in succession,administered the executive branch of government..through many perils;and,generally, with great success."4 Now it was Lincoln's turn,and his duty on the stage of history would be equal to the cause of free government,as the fate of the Union rested in his hands. Lincoln's coming has significance because of the stage that was set for his entrance and because of his own resolute political beliefs.TheAbraham Lincoln's Understanding of the Nature of the Union: Secession, Slavery and the Philosophical Cause Statesmanship Thesis Recipient of the 2007 Charles E. Parton Award by Jason Stevens Introduction Lincoln entered the historical stage as he took the oath of office on March 4th, 1861, faced with a task "greater than that which rested upon Washington." 1 All American minds were engaged with that task, but some Southern hearts had already turned away. By the time Lincoln took office, seven states had already seceded and six of them had formed the Confederacy. More would soon follow. As he delivers his Farewell Address at Springfield, Illinois, Lincoln is fully aware that "a disruption of the Federal Union is now formidably attempted." 2 A Republican president had been elected by a constitutional majority, and an expressed minority had resolved to secede rather than stay. 3 Never before had this happened in the history of the young American republic. Secession had been threatened before, but this menacing force had subsided through the relaxation of passion, through the progression of time, and through the reconciling effect of compromise. During Andrew Jackson’s presidency in 1832, South Carolina threatened to secede from the Union after Congress passed the protective tariff. What followed became known as the Nullification Crisis, testing whether a state can refuse to recognize or to enforce a federal law. Although a compromise was struck, and South Carolina did not secede, the question concerning whether or not a state can legally secede from the Union was never answered. Fifteen different men had come to occupy the office of president before Lincoln took office, and each of them had "in succession, administered the executive branch of government…through many perils; and, generally, with great success." 4 Now it was Lincoln’s turn, and his duty on the stage of history would be equal to the cause of free government, as the fate of the Union rested in his hands. Lincoln’s coming has significance because of the stage that was set for his entrance and because of his own resolute political beliefs. The