read the excerpt from “first joint debate at ottawa,” by abraham lincoln.
now, i have no means of totally disproving such charges as this which the judge makes. a man cannot prove a negative; but he has a right to claim, that when a man makes an affirmative charge, he must offer some proof to show the truth of what he says. i certainly cannot introduce testimony to show the negative about things, but i have a right to claim that if a man says he knows a thing, then he must show how he knows it. i always have a right to claim this, and it is not satisfactory to me that he may be “conscientious” on the subject.
does the author use a consistent tone in the passage?
no, the author switches from casual to formal diction. no, the author switches from subjective to condescending diction. yes, the author uses diction that is academic and formal. yes, the author uses diction that is lighthearted and informal