Gettysburg Address ... easy question? maybe

[AussieMick]

At the risk of boring of everyone, I note that Lincoln uses 'can not' in the letter to Fanny Mccollough (on her father's death). The emphatic tone of the 'can not' is similar to that in the Gettysburg Address, even though the two words are split across 2 lines.

http://www.shapell.org/manuscript/lincol...condolence

As an aside, it does seem that with the 'advances' of grammar we have lost something now that 'cannot' is always used. For Lincoln to have used 'cannot' in the letter to Fanny, the effect would have been lessened and he would not have transmitted the same 'message' in my opinion. Perhaps that is one reason why 'can not' is so effective and right in the Address.