Abraham Lincoln Civil Quotations

The shepherd drives the wolf from the sheep's for which the sheep thanks the shepherd as his liberator, while the wolf denounces him for the same act as the destroyer of liberty. Plainly, the sheep and the wolf are not agreed upon a definition of liberty.

At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.

In great contests each party claims to act in accordance with the will of God. Both may be, and one must be wrong.

If I were to try to read, much less answer, all the attacks made on me, this shop might as well be closed for any other business.

I am naturally anti-slavery. If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong. I can not remember when I did not so think, and feel. And yet I have never understood that the Presidency conferred upon me an unrestricted right to act officially upon this judgment and feeling.

It is rather for us here dedicated to the great task remaining before us, that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion.

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

If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong.

With firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right.

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

Let us strive on to finish the work we are in.

I am greatly obliged to you, and to all who have come forward at the call of their country.

My God! My God! What will the country say?

God can not be for, and against the same thing at the same time.

We all declare for liberty, but in using the same word we do not all mean the same thing.

The better part of one's life consists of his friendships.

The Cause of civil liberty must not be surrendered at the end of one, or even one hundred defeats.

You think slavery is right and ought to be extended; while we think it is wrong and ought to be restricted. That I suppose is the rub. It certainly is the only substantial difference between us.

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.

Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes His aid against the other.

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.

The Lord spared the fitten and the rest he seen fitten to die.

He has got the slows, Mr. Blair.

I can make brigadier generals, but i can't make horses.

You are green, it is true; but they are green also. You are all green alike.

The trouble with Hooker is that he's got his headquarters where his hindquarters aught to be.

It's bad. It's damned bad.

I failed, I failed, and that is about all that can be said about it.

If there is a worse place than Hell, I am in it.

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 do it by freeing some and leaving others alone, I would do that. I have here stated my purpose according to my official duty, and I intend no modification of my oft-expressed personal wish that all men, everywhere, could be free.

I claim not to have controlled events, but confess plainly that events have controlled me.

The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present.

The world has never had a good definition of the word liberty

As President, I have no eyes but constitutional eyes; I cannot see you.

The Almighty has His own purposes.

Care for him who shall have borne the battle

If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it.

Bring me Longstreet's head on a platter and the war will be over

The world has never had a good definition of the word liberty, and the American people, just now, are much in want of one. We all declare for liberty; but in using the same word we do not all mean the same thing....

Every man has a right to be equal with every other man.

We here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain.

the better angels of our nature