Question

read the excerpt from lincolns second inaugural address. each party looked for an easier triumph, and a result less fundamental and astounding. both read the same bible and pray to the same god, and each invokes his aid against the other. it may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just gods assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other mens faces, but let us judge not, that we be not judged. the prayers of both could not be answered. that of neither has been answered fully. the almighty has his own purposes. which statement best describes lincolns use of rhetorical appeal? he relies on pathos to stir listeners anger and outrage. he uses logos to explain the historical significance of war. he relies on pathos to reveal his own conflicted emotions about war. he uses ethos to illustrate the similarities between north and south.

Explanation:

Ethos is an appeal to ethics, and Lincoln mentions both sides reading the same Bible and praying to the same God, which shows their similarities (ethical common ground). Pathos is an appeal to emotion. In the text, there's no indication of stirring anger/outrage (first option) or revealing his own conflicted emotions (third option). Logos is an appeal to logic. The text isn't explaining the historical significance of war in a logical, fact - based way (second option).

Answer:

He uses ethos to illustrate the similarities between North and South.