Abraham Lincoln Quotes About Slavery

• Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.

  Abraham Lincoln

  Freedom, 4th Of July, Patriotic

  Letter to Henry L. Pierce and Others, 6 Apr. 1859

• As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy.

  Abraham Lincoln

  Wisdom, Freedom, Humor

  "Definition of Democracy," ca. 1 Aug. 1858

• Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally.

  Abraham Lincoln

  Life, Strong, Freedom

  Speech to 140th Indiana regiment, 17 Mar. 1865

• My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union.

  Abraham Lincoln

  War, Believe, Struggle

  Letter to Horace Greeley, 22 Aug. 1862

• A house divided against itself cannot stand.

  Abraham Lincoln

  Leadership, Inspirational Life, Twilight

  Speech at Republican state convention nominating him to run for U.S. senator, Springfield, Ill., 16 June 1858

• I believe this Government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free.

  Abraham Lincoln

  Believe, Patriotic, Government

  Speech at Republican state convention nominating him to run for U.S. senator, Springfield, Ill., 16 June 1858

• Slavery is founded on the selfishness of man's nature - opposition to it on his love of justice. These principles are in eternal antagonism; and when brought into collision so fiercely as slavery extension brings them, shocks and throes and convulsions must ceaselessly follow.

  Abraham Lincoln

  Love, Men, Justice

  Address on the Repeal of the Missouri Compromise, delivered 16 October 1854, Peoria, Illinois

• We were proclaiming ourselves political hypocrites before the world, by thus fostering Human Slavery and proclaiming ourselves, at the same time, the sole friends of Human Freedom.

  Abraham Lincoln

  Hypocrite, Political, World

  Speech, Springfield, Ill., 4 Oct. 1854

• If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong.

  Abraham Lincoln

  Presidential, Civil War, Slavery

  Letter to Albert G. Hodges, 4 Apr. 1864

• In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free.

  Abraham Lincoln

  Congress And The President, Giving, Civil War

  Annual Message to Congress, 1 Dec. 1862

• I know there is a God, and that He hates injustice and slavery. I see the storm coming, and I know that his hand is in it. If He has a place and work for me - and I think He has - I believe I am ready.

  Abraham Lincoln

  Hate, Believe, Thinking

  Abraham Lincoln, Archer Hayes Shaw (1980). “The Lincoln encyclopedia: the spoken and written words of A. Lincoln arranged for ready reference”, Greenwood Pub Group

• In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free - honorable alike in what we give and what we preserve. We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of earth.

  Abraham Lincoln

  Congress And The President, Giving, Free Spirit

  Annual Message to Congress, 1 Dec. 1862

• I have always thought that all men should be free; but if any should be slaves, it should be first those who desire for themselves, and secondly those who desire it for others. Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally.

  Abraham Lincoln

  Strong, Freedom, Men

  Speech to 140th Indiana regiment, 17 Mar. 1865

• I do but quote from one of those speeches when I declare that "I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so."

  Abraham Lincoln

  Believe, Purpose, Slavery

  Abraham Lincoln (2008). “The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln”, p.250, Wildside Press LLC

• I hate it because of the monstrous injustice of slavery itself. I hate it because it deprives our republican example of its just influence in the world.

  Abraham Lincoln

  Hate, Example, World

  Speech, Peoria, Ill., 16 Oct. 1854

• This is a world of compensations; and he who would be no slave, must consent to have no slave.

  Abraham Lincoln

  Would Be, World, Slavery

  Letter to Henry L. Pierce and Others, 6 Apr. 1859

• A house divided against itself cannot stand." 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.

  Abraham Lincoln

  Believe, Fall, Government

  Speech at Republican state convention nominating him to run for U.S. senator, Springfield, Ill., 16 June 1858

• Now, I confess myself as belonging to that class in the country who contemplate slavery as a moral, social and political evil, having due regard for its actual existence amongst us and the difficulties of getting rid of it in any satisfactory way, and to all the constitutional obligations which have been thrown about it; but, nevertheless, desire a policy that looks to the prevention of it as a wrong, and looks hopefully to the time when as a wrong it may come to an end.

  Abraham Lincoln

  Country, Class, Evil

  Abraham Lincoln (2017). “The Complete Papers and Writings of Abraham Lincoln”, p.905, Open Road Media

• Free labor has the inspiration of hope; pure slavery has no hope.

  Abraham Lincoln

  Inspiration, Slave Labor, Slavery

  Abraham Lincoln, Mario Matthew Cuomo, G. S. Boritt (2004). “Lincoln on Democracy”, p.160, Fordham Univ Press

• What I do say is, that no man is good enough to govern another man, without that other's consent. I say this is the leading principle - the sheet anchor of American republicanism.

  Abraham Lincoln

  Men, Anchors, Principles

  Speech, Peoria, Ill., 16 Oct. 1854

• I think that one of the causes of these repeated failures is that our best and greatest men have greatly underestimated the size of this question (slavery). They have constantly brought forward small cures for great sores-plasters too small to cover the wound. That is one reason that all settlements have proved so temporary-so evanescent.

  Abraham Lincoln

  Men, Thinking, Slavery

  Abraham Lincoln (1989). “Abraham Lincoln: Speeches & Writings Part 2: 1859-1865: Library of America #46”, p.134, Library of America

• I repeat the declaration made a year ago, that 'while I remain in my present position I shall not attempt to retract or modify the emancipation proclamation, nor shall I return to slavery any person who is free by the terms of that proclamation, or by any of the Acts of Congress.' If the people should, by whatever mode or means, make it an Executive duty to re-enslave such persons, another, and not I, must be their instrument to perform it.

  Abraham Lincoln

  Mean, Years, People

  Abraham Lincoln (1989). “Abraham Lincoln: Speeches & Writings Part 2: 1859-1865: Library of America #46”, p.661, Library of America

• We think slavery a great moral wrong, and while we do not claim the right to touch it where it exists, we wish to treat it as a wrong in the territories, where our votes will reach it.

  Abraham Lincoln

  Thinking, Wish, Slavery

  Abraham Lincoln (2012). “Lincoln Speeches”, p.133, Penguin

• I did say, at Chicago, in my speech there, that I do wish to see the spread of slavery arrested and to see it placed where the public mind shall rest in the belief that it is in course of ultimate extinction.

  Abraham Lincoln

  Mind, Wish, Chicago

  David W. Bartlett, Abraham Lincoln (1860). “The Life and Public Services of Hon. Abraham Lincoln: With a Portrait on Steel. To which is Added a Biographical Sketch of Hon. Hannibal Hamlin”, p.190

• In 1841 you and I had together a tedious low-water trip, on a Steam Boat from Louisville to St. Louis. You may remember, as I well do, that from Louisville to the mouth of the Ohio there were, on board, ten or a dozen slaves, shackled together with irons. That sight was a continual torment to me; and I see something like it every time I touch the Ohio, or any other slave-border.

  Abraham Lincoln

  Sight, Ohio, Iron

  Abraham Lincoln (1989). “Abraham Lincoln: Speeches & Writings Part 1: 1832-1858: Library of America #45”, p.360, Library of America

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