III. The Perpetuity of Popular Government Summary and Analysis

"The Tug Has to Come" - After Lincoln was elected, the South actively put secession into motion. Lincoln urged Congress not to compromise with the South—that is, not to give in to any extension of slavery.

"There is No Cause for Such Fears" - Lincoln was slow to recognize the true gravity of the secession crisis, and wrote a fairly vanilla letter to southern Congressman Alexander Stephens trying to assuage fears. It didn't work; Stephens became the eventual vice president of the Confederacy.

"It is the End of Us" - Lincoln rails against what he perceives as southern extortion attempts. He refuses again to compromise on the issue of slavery.

"An Affectionate Farewell" - Lincoln was unusually emotional in a farewell speech as he boarded a train to take...