"The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country," - Abraham Lincoln, Second Annual Message to Congress, December 1, 1862.

(Photo: Hiroko Masuike/Getty.)

We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com.