Category: Quote of the Day

Public sentiment is everything. With public sentiment, nothing can fail; without it nothing can succeed. Consequently he who molds public sentiment goes deeper than he who enacts statutes or pronounces decisions.”– Lincoln-Douglas Debate at Ottawa, August 21, 1858

Property is the fruit of labor – property is desirable – is a positive good in the world”– Reply to New York Workingmen’s Democratic Republican Association, March 21, 1864

Peace does not appear so distant as it did. I hope it will come soon, and come to stay; and so come as to be worth the keeping in all future time.”– Letter to James Conkling,August 26, 1863

Passion has helped us; but can do so no more. It will in future be our enemy. Reason, cold, calculating, unimpassioned reason, must furnish all the materials for our future support and defence.”– Temperance Address, February 22, 1842

Others have been made fools of by the girls; but this can never be with truth said of me. I most emphatically, in this instance, made a fool of myself.”– Letter to Mrs. Orville H.. Browning, April 1, 1838

Our government rests in public opinion. Whoever can change public opinion can change the government practically just so much.”– Speech at Chicago, December 10, 1856

Our defense is in the spirt which prized liberty as the heritage of all men, in all lands everywhere. Destroy this spirt and you have planted the seeds of despotism at your own doors.”– Speech at Edwardsville, September 13, 1858

One section of our country believes slavery is right, and ought to be extended, while the other believes it is wrong, and ought not to be extended.”– Inaugural Address, March 4, 1861

One eighth of the whole population were colored slaves, not distributed generally over the Union, but localized in the Southern part of it. These slaves constituted a peculiar and powerful interest. All knew that this interest was, somehow, the cause of the war.”– First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1865

Nowhere in the world is presented a government of so much liberty and equality. To the humblest and poorest amongst us are held out the highest privileges and positions.”– Speech to the 148th Ohio Regiment, August 31, 1864