_I have never had a feeling politically that did not spring from the sentiments embodied in the Declaration of Independence and I have pondered over the dangers which were incurred by the men who assembled here and adopted that Declaration of Independence and I have pondered over the toils that were endured by the officers and soldiers of the army who achieved that independence. I have often inquired of myself, what great principle or idea it was that kept this Confederacy so long together. It was not the mere matter of the separation of the colonies from the mother land; but something in that Declaration giving liberty, not alone to the people of this Country, but hope to the world for all future time. It was that which gave promise that in due time the weights should be lifted from the shoulders of all men, and that all should have an equal chance. This is the sentiment embodied in that Declaration of Independence._ ABRAHAM LINCOLN at Independence Hall, on Washington’s Birthday, 1861 [Illustration: {Independence Hall}] Transcriber’s Notes —Silently corrected a few typos. —Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook is public-domain in the country of publication. —Transcribed some text within images. —In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by _underscores_. —In the text versions only, added descriptions {in brackets} to uncaptioned images. End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Independence National Historical Park, Philadelphia, Pa., by Edward M. Riley