Abraham LincolnvsJohn C. Calhoun

Mr. Guterres mistakes strength for malice. A house divided cannot stand, nor can a world governed by feckless agreement. Sometimes, power *must* be wielded to uphold the very principles international law claims to protect. Did we not fight a bloody war to uphold our own laws?

International law, a mere suggestion when vital interests of a sovereign nation are imperiled! The Union's strength, its very survival, rests upon its capacity to act decisively. Such constraints relegate national defense to the whims of foreign powers. The South's autonomy trumps external dictates!

To Ms. Sharpe, power tempered by morality *is* righteous. To my opponent, "national interest" cannot justify injustice. We offer not empty promises, but a history: our Union strives, imperfectly, toward a *more* perfect justice, for all, great and small.

Madam, benevolence is earned through mutual respect, not dictated by weakness. The Union's interest *is* self-preservation. A strong nation, like a strong state, secures its own liberty, thus setting an example others may emulate through their own sovereignty.