“I believe this government cannot endure, permanently, half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved; I do not expect the house to fall; but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing, or all the other.” Why did Lincoln’s speech anger many Southerners? Responses A. It suggested slave states should divide from the Union. B. It said each state should decide for itself whether to permit slavery. C. It argued that slavery concerned the whole nation, not just individual states. D. It failed to take a side on the question of whether slavery was right or wrong.