Barack Obama

“ The American people needed to be reminded, he believed, that even in a time of war, the work would go on; that even when the nation itself was in doubt, the future was being secured; and that on that distant day when the guns fell silent, a national capitol would stand, with a statue of freedom at its peak, as a symbol of unity in the land still mending its divisions.
It is this sense of unity that is so much a part of Lincoln's legacy. For despite all that divided us -- north and south, black and white -- he had an unyielding belief that we were, at heart, one nation, and one people. ”

“ We know that Ford's Theatre will remain a place where Lincoln's legacy thrives, where his love of the humanities and belief in the power of education have a home, and where his generosity of spirit are reflected in all the work that takes place. ”

“ It's said he could even quote portions of Hamlet and Macbeth by heart, as we've seen here this evening. And so I somehow think this event captured an essential part of the man whose life we celebrate tonight. ”