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Matt Wright
GLI: Understanding Lincoln
Summer 2016

Lincolns Lyceum Address (1838): Lincolns Insights on Human Nature and

the Danger of American Restlessness
In January of 1838, a twenty-eight year old Abraham Lincoln gave a speech at the Young Mens
Lyceum in Springfield, Illinois. The American Lyceum movement had been started by Josiah
Holbrook, a teacher and lecturer who founded the movement in 1826 as, a voluntary association
of individuals disposed to improve each other in useful knowledge.[1] Lincolns address
criticized the rise of mob violence in America, and although he did not mention him by name,
most historians believe that the death of Elijah Lovejoy, an abolitionist newspaper editor, at the
hands of a mob in the fall of 1837 helped contribute to Lincolns purpose for writing this address.
[2] While deploring mob violence, Lincoln also spoke of the virtues of self-government and
warned of the dangers of demagogues who would surely rise to try and achieve a level of
recognition on par with or surpassing the founding fathers before them. At the time of Lincolns
Lyceum Address, the young legislator from Illinois could not have known his own role to be
played in Americas future but his words that day offered some incredible insight into
philosophical questions of human nature and provided a remarkable foreshadowing of the rise
and dangers of demagogues in society.

In his address, Lincoln reflects on the founding of the United States as an experiment in, the
capability of people to govern themselves, an idea that he claims had, hitherto been
considered, at best no better, than problematic.[3] He recognized that the idea of selfgovernment was truly revolutionary and that the founding fathers who chose to undertake this
experiment were risking their lives and their fortunes to achieve this end. If the experiment
were to succeed though, all those who had stake in it, were to be immortalized; their names
were to be transferred to counties and cities, and rivers and mountains; and to be revered and
sung, and toasted through all time. If they failed, they were to be called knaves and fools, and
fanatics for a fleeting hour; then to sink and be forgotten.[4] Lincoln continues by declaring the
experiment a success but adds, But the game is caught; and I believe it is true, that with the
catching, end the pleasures of the chase. This field of glory is harvested, and the crop is already
appropriated. [5] Lincoln is comparing the experiment to game, wild animals hunted for sport
or food, implying that once the game is caught, or the experiment is successful, there is no
pleasure in continuing that chase or experiment. He goes on to further explain that no one else
will receive glory and fame from the American Revolution because the field of glory is
harvested with all of those crops being already appropriated to our founding fathers.

Lincoln believed that history had shown that, new reapers will arise, and they, too, will seek a
field that men of ambition and talents will continue to spring up amongst us. And, when they
do, they will as naturally seek the gratification of their ruling passion. [6] I suspect Lincoln
believed that there is a part of every mans human nature that wants to be immortalized for all to
remember, an accomplishment he would eventually achieve in death himself. Lincoln provides
historical examples of men such as Alexander, Caesar, and Napoleon as proof of men who would

never settle for a simple, seat in Congress, a gubernatorial or presidential chair because these
men, see no distinction in adding story to story, upon the monuments of fame, erected to the
memory of others [They] scorn to tread in the footsteps of any predecessor, however
illustrious.[7] He emphasizes this by saying that, Towering genius disdains a beaten path[8] to
further stress his argument that it is only natural that men would want to blaze their own trail and
find ways to put their own names on cities, mountains, and in historical records.

Lincolns major concern rooted in the fear of what actions a man might be willing to undertake
in order to gain the fame and distinction they so naturally desired. According to historian Susan
Gray, the 1830s ushered in a new sense of individualism for Americans and the transition to a
new market economy, demanded a generation of individuals who were willing to seize
opportunities whenever and wherever they appeared.[9] Translated into the political realm this
atmosphere provided the perfect opportunity for demagogues to seize power by appealing to
popular desires and prejudices rather than using rational argument. Lincoln found this trend
dismaying and feared becoming a demagogue himself. In his first campaign speech he made the
point to declare himself as a man, born and have remained in the humble walks of life.[10] He
would continue to portray himself as a humble man throughout his political career. In an excerpt
titled Railsplitter from Michael Burlingames book Abraham Lincoln: A Life we can further
see Lincolns disdain for hyperbole in the political arena when he was said to have disapproved of
his second cousin presenting two rails Lincoln had supposedly split as a young man to the
roaring approval of the Illinois Republican Convention in 1860. He saw these political props as
nothing more than stage tricks that distracted from the real issues at hand.[11] Lincolns fear of

demagogues may have contributed to his speeches and actions as he tried to distance himself
from rival politicians and portray himself as a self-invented man.

In describing how far a towering genius was willing to go to seek glory, Lincoln states that,
[They] thirst and burn for distinction, and provides an ironic foreshadowing of his own life as
president when he states that they will accomplish that distinction, whether at the expense of
emancipating slaves, or enslaving freemen.[12] Lincoln believes that when a man does rise up
and try to snag power, It will require the people to be united with each other, attached to the
government and laws, and generally intelligent, to successfully frustrate his designs, because
these men will go to great lengths to gain power and fame. He explains where a mans priorities
lie when he says, Distinction will be his paramount object; and although he would as willingly,
perhaps more so, acquire it by doing good as harm; yet, that opportunity being past, and nothing
left to be done in the way of building up, he would set boldly to the task of pulling down.[13]
This last point by Lincoln I feel is the most important one he makes in his speech. He implies
that even a good hearted man who wants to do good in the world by building up can eventually
fall victim to the task of pulling down in order to feed that craving for recognition. I believe
this shows a keen understanding of human nature on Lincolns behalf and begs the question as to
whether the Presidential Lincoln would consider himself a towering genius as he struggled to
make difficult decisions regarding issues of secession, emancipation, and civil liberties.

In summary, Lincolns Lyceum Address of 1838 is an important document to study not only to
understand Lincoln the man, but to also understand human nature and Americans in general. In

fact, we can apply many of Lincolns insights to the modern world today. I believe Lincolns
contention that, with the catching, end the pleasures of the chase can be used to describe much
more than just the restlessness Americans felt after achieving independence in the American
Revolution. This quote could easily apply to American apathy after almost every major social
and political movement in American history. Lincoln did achieve victory in the Civil War and
ended slavery, but it was not long after that catch was made that the pleasure was gone and
the Jim Crow South was allowed to flourish. Civil Rights and Voting Rights legislation were
major accomplishments in the United States but when the pleasure of that catch disappeared
we were left with decades of declining voting turnout and continued racial injustices that are still
major problems today. Lincolns fear of dangerous demagogues is warranted because when
America does become restless and apathetic to social and political issues, it breeds an
environment ripe for someone to shake things up by either building us up or tearing us
down. Never is this more clear than in the current 2016 presidential race where we have seen a
candidate in Donald Trump, as the Republican nominee, running a campaign that is filled with
racist, sexist, and incendiary rhetoric. It is elections like this that when it is of the utmost
importance that the citizens of the United States will have learned the lesson from Lincoln that in
order to avoid the dangers of a demagogue it will, require the people to be united with each
other, attached to the government and laws, and generally intelligent. [14]

Notes
[1] Josiah Holbrook, American Lyceum, Massachusetts: Perkins and Marvin (1829)
[2] Matthew Pinsker, ed., Lyceum Address (January 27, 1838), Lincolns Writings: The MultiMedia Edition, accessed July 2016
[3] Abraham Lincoln, Lyceum Address, Illinois: (1838)
[4] Lincoln, Lyceum Address
[5] Lincoln, Lyceum Address
[6] Lincoln, Lyceum Address
[7] Lincoln, Lyceum Address
[8] Lincoln, Lyceum Address
[9] Kenneth J. Winkle, Abraham Lincoln: Self-Made Man, Michigan: University of Michigan
Press (2000)
[10] Winkle, Abraham Lincoln: Self-Made Man
[11] Michael Burlingame, Abraham Lincoln: A Life, Maryland: John Hopkins University Press
(2008)
[12] Lincoln, Lyceum Address
[13] Lincoln, Lyceum Address
[14] Lincoln, Lyceum Address