MARK LEFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Abraham Lincoln brought two new things to his first inaugural, in March 1861: a beard, which he grew after an 11-year-old girl suggested it, and an expensive hat. Lincoln wasn't sure where to put the hat before beginning to speak. Illinois Senator Stephen Douglass, whom Lincoln just defeated, came to the rescue and held the hat while Lincoln launched into a speech focusing on slavery, secession and avoiding the Civil War that would begin within five weeks. By his second inaugural, in March 1865, the Confederacy was looking for a way to make peace, and Lincoln spoke eloquently of a just and lasting peace. Within weeks, the Civil War was over, and Lincoln was dead. A century later, the U.N. Security Council used Lincoln's words in a different context and conflict. Now, the phrase just and lasting peace has become the mantra of the Middle East. Mark Leff, CNN.
Inaugural Moments: Abraham Lincoln's 'Just and Lasting Peace'