In President Lincoln's November 10, 1864 speech following his election, he stated:

"It has long been a grave question whether any government not too strong for the liberties of its people, can be strong enough to maintain its own existence, in great emergencies."

Years earlier he remarked in a message to Congress the same question. What was the date of the relevant Message to Congress?

With the correct answer, I will provide the paragraph wording for all to see and consider President Lincoln's vision for the future of democracy as a lasting institution.

March 4, 1861

(08-29-2025 06:30 PM)RJNorton Wrote:  March 4, 1861

Roger, the day number and year are correct. But the month is wrong.

The correct answer is July 4, 1861 Message to Congress.

"And this issue embraces more than the fate of these United States. It presents to the whole family of man the question whether a constitutional republic, or democracy--a government of the people, by the same people--can or can not maintain its territorial integrity against its own domestic foes. It presents the question whether discontented individuals, too few in numbers to control administration according to organic law in any case, can always, upon the pretenses made in this case, or on any other pretenses, or arbitrarily without any pretense, break up their government, and thus practically put an end to free government upon the earth. It forces us to ask, Is there in all republics this inherent and fatal weakness? Must a government of necessity be too strong for the liberties of its own people, or too weak to maintain its own existence?"

So viewing the issue, no choice was left but to call out the war power of the Government and so to resist force employed for its destruction by force for its preservation.

And, the November 10, 1864 election speech is described in relevant part by Professor Michael Burlingame in Abraham Lincoln: A Life, Vol. Two, page 724:

When the loud cheering finally died down, he began with a point he had made in his July 4, 1861, message to Congress: "It has long been a grave question whether any government, not too strong for the liberties of its people, can be strong enough to maintain its own existence, in great emergencies. On this point the present rebellion brought our republic to a severe test; and a presidential election occurring in regular course during the rebellion added not a little to the strain. If the loyal people, united, were put to the utmost of their strength by rebellion, must they not fail when divided, and partially paralized, by a political war among themselves?"

Though the danger was great, it would not have justified suspending or canceling the election, Lincoln added: "The strife of the election is but human-nature practically applied to the facts of the case. What has occurred in this case, must ever recur in similar cases. Human-nature will not change. In any future great national trial, compared with the men of this, we shall have as weak, and as strong; as silly and as wise; as bad and good. Let us, therefore, study the incidents of this, as philosophy to learn wisdom from, and none of them as wrongs to be revenged." (Emphasis added.)