Slavery In America Quotes:

Not only do I pray for it, on the score of human dignity, but I can clearly forsee that nothing but the rooting out of slavery can perpetuate the existence of our union, by consolidating it in a common bond of principle.

- George Washington

source: "Retrospections of America, 1797 - 1811". Book by John Bernard, p. 91, 1887.

topic: Principles, Slavery, Unions, Human Dignity, Slavery In America

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

- Abraham Lincoln

source: Address at Sanitary Fair, Baltimore, Md., 18 Apr. 1864

topic: Mean, Civil War, Liberty, American Civil War, American Slavery

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

source: Speech to 140th Indiana regiment, 17 Mar. 1865

topic: Strong, Freedom, Men, American Slavery, Slavery In America

The Autocrat of all the Russias will resign his crown, and proclaim his subjects free republicans sooner than will our American masters voluntarily give up their slaves.

- Abraham Lincoln

source: Abraham Lincoln (2008). “Speeches and Letters of Abraham Lincoln(1832-1865) (EasyRead Super Large 20pt Edition)”, p.74, ReadHowYouWant.com

topic: Giving Up, Russia, Crowns, American Slavery, Slavery In America

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.

- Abraham Lincoln

source: Abraham Lincoln, Terence Ball (2013). “Lincoln: Political Writings and Speeches”, p.121, Cambridge University Press

topic: Country, Believe, Civil War, Inaugural Address, Us Civil War

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.

- Abraham Lincoln

source: Letter to Albert G. Hodges, 4 Apr. 1864

topic: Thinking, Feelings, Civil War, American Slavery, Anti Slavery

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.

- Abraham Lincoln

source: Second Inaugural Address, delivered 4 March 1865

topic: Powerful, War, Southern, American Slavery, Slavery In America

It is the eternal struggle between these two principles - right and wrong. They are the two principles that have stood face to face from the beginning of time and will ever continue to struggle. It is the same spirit that says, "You work and toil and earn bread, and I'll eat it."

- Abraham Lincoln

source: Abraham Lincoln, Stephen Arnold Douglas (1860). “Political Debates Between Hon. Abraham Lincoln and Hon. Stephen A. Douglas, in the Celebrated Campaign of 1858 in Illinois: Including the Preceding Speeches of Each at Chicago, Springfield, Etc., Also the Two Great Speeches of Mr. Lincoln in Ohio, in 1859, as Carefully Prepared by the Reporter of Each Party and Published at the Times of Their Delivery”, p.234

topic: Struggle, Two, Toil, Slavery In America

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

topic: Believe, Purpose, Slavery, Inaugural, Inaugural Address

Democracy means simply the bludgeoning of the people by the people for the people.

- Oscar Wilde

topic: Funny, Sarcastic, Freedom, Independence And Freedom, Independence Day Patriotic

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

- Abraham Lincoln

source: Gettysburg Address, Gettysburg, Pa., 19 Nov. 1863

topic: Change, Freedom, Father, July 4th 1776, Liberty And Equality

Of the people, by the people, for the people,

- Sun Yat-sen

topic: People, Independence And Freedom, Inspirational Freedom, Inspirational Patriotic, Inspiring Independence Day

No man is good enough to govern another man without the other's consent.

- Abraham Lincoln

topic: Leadership, Witty, Men, Consent Of The Governed, Leadership In Education

If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong.

- Abraham Lincoln

topic: Presidential, Slavery, Emancipation Proclamation, American Civil War, American Slavery

A house divided against itself cannot stand.

- Abraham Lincoln

topic: Leadership, Inspirational Life, Twilight, Disunity, Dividing

Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.

- Frederick Douglass

topic: Freedom, Power, Demand, Labor Union, Struggle For Freedom

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

- Abraham Lincoln

topic: Life, Strong, Freedom, States Rights, Abolition

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

topic: War, Believe, Struggle, Causes Of War, Secession

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

topic: Believe, Fall, Government, States Rights, Divided Government

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

- Abraham Lincoln

source: Second Inaugural Address, delivered 4 March 1865

topic: God, Civil War, Unity, Inaugural Address, American Slavery

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

- Abraham Lincoln

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

topic: Inspiration, Slave Labor, Slavery, American Slavery, Slavery In America

There is in fact a manly and legitimate passion for equality that spurs all men to wish to be strong and esteemed. This passion tends to elevate the lesser to the rank of the greater. But one also finds in the human heart a depraved taste for equality, which impels the weak to want to bring the strong down to their level, and which reduces men to preferring equality in servitude to inequality in freedom.

- Alexis de Tocqueville

source: "Democracy in America". Book by Alexis de Tocqueville. Chapter III, Part I, 1835.

topic: Freedom, Equality, America, Liberty And Equality, Democracy In America

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.

- Abraham Lincoln

source: Abraham Lincoln (2008). “The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln”, p.160, Wildside Press LLC

topic: Thinking, Differences, Civil War, Slavery In America

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

- Abraham Lincoln

topic: Wisdom, Freedom, Patriotic, Masters And Slaves, Proclamation

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

- Abraham Lincoln

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

topic: Freedom, 4th Of July, Patriotic, Independence And Freedom, Independence Day Patriotic

Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!

- Patrick Henry

topic: Sweet, Freedom, Business, American Revolution, Individual Liberty

Our new government is founded upon exactly the opposite idea; its foundations are laid, its corner- stone rests, upon the great truth that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery subordination to the superior race is his natural and normal condition. This, our new government, is the first, in the history of the world, based upon this great physical, philosophical, and moral truth.

- Alexander H. Stephens

source: Alexander H. Stephens' “Corner Stone” Speech, teachingamericanhistory.org. March 21, 1861.

topic: Philosophical, Men, Race, Cornerstones, Subordination

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

- Abraham Lincoln

topic: Liberty, World, Definitions, American Slavery, Slavery In America

On Monday mornings I am dedicated to the proposition that all men are created jerks.

- H. Allen Smith

topic: Monday, Morning, Men, Independence And Freedom, Independence Day

Freedom means you are unobstructed in living your life as you choose. Anything less is a form of slavery.

- Wayne Dyer

topic: Life, Motivational, Memorial Day, Inspirational Freedom, Price Of Freedom

So plain that no one, high or low, ever does mistake it, except in a plainly selfish way; for although volume upon volume is written to prove slavery a very good thing, we never hear of the man who wishes to take the good of it, by being a slave himself.

- Abraham Lincoln

source: "Fragment on Slavery" ca. 1 July 1854

topic: Selfish, Mistake, Men, American Slavery, Slavery In America

Both read the same Bible, and pray to the same God; and each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare to ask a just God's assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat of other men's faces; but let us judge not that we be not judged. The prayers of both could not be answered; that of neither has been answered fully.

- Abraham Lincoln

source: Second Inaugural Address, 4 Mar. 1865

topic: Prayer, War, Men, American Slavery, Us Civil War

Without slavery the rebellion could never have existed; without slavery it could not continue.

- Abraham Lincoln

source: Abraham Lincoln (2009). “The Portable Abraham Lincoln”, p.12, Penguin

topic: Civil War, Slavery, Rebellion, Slavery In America

Slavery in America was perpetuated not merely by human badness but also by human blindness. ... Men convinced themselves that a system that was so economically profitable must be morally justifiable. ... Science was commandeered to prove the biological inferiority of the Negro. Even philosophical logic was manipulated [exemplified by] an Aristotlian syllogism: All men are made in the image of God; God, as everyone knows, is not a Negro; Therefore, the Negro is not a man.

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

topic: Money, Philosophical, Men, Slavery In America

Once slavery in America was not seen as radical. It became, instead, a revolutionary idea that slaves should be freed. When we have lived under a pernicious power long enough, no matter how oppressive, we grow so accustomed to the yoke that its removal seems frightening, even wrong.

- Gerry Spence

topic: Ideas, America, Long, Revolutionary Ideas, Slavery In America

I know this well, that if one thousand, if one hundred, if ten men whom I could name,--if ten honest men only,--ay, if one HONESTman, in this State of Massachusetts, ceasing to hold slaves, were actually to withdraw from this copartnership, and be locked up in the county jail therefor, it would be the abolition of slavery in America. For it matters not how small the beginning may seem to be: what is once well done is done forever.

- Henry David Thoreau

source: Henry David Thoreau (1942). “Civil Disobedience”, p.10, Hayes Barton Press

topic: Men, Names, Abolition Of Slavery, Slavery In America