Question

Read the excerpt from Abraham Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address.

This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, they can exercise their CONSTITUTIONAL right of amending it, or their REVOLUTIONARY right to dismember or overthrow it.

Which detail signals Lincoln’s appeal to ethos?

his call to arms encouraging war
his explanation of the amendment process
his visual description of weary citizens
his reference to every citizen’s rights

Answer 1

The excerpt signals the American's ethical responsibilities or constitutional right to choose the government that rules their nation, to change it or to overthrow it if necessary. American's freedom and right to decide who is in power is the characteristic spirit of their culture and society, this is why Lincoln's reference to these rights is the detail signaling his appeal to ethos.

The answer is option 4: His reference to every citizen’s rights.

Answer 2

Lincoln appeal to ethos is signaled by his reference to every citizen’s rights.

By mentioning the Constitutional right of every citizen to overthrow a government that does not conform their expectations, Lincoln clearly shows his appeal to moral and political values. He manifestly calls for people’s active involvement in the government’s decisions and direction. According to his political vision, the people as sovereign have the right to demand changes in pursuit of their welfare.