Let all who believe that "our fathers, who framed the Government under which we live, understood this question just as well, and even better, than we do now," speak as they spoke, and act as they acted upon it. This is all Republicans ask — all Republicans desire — in relation to slavery. As those fathers marked it, so let it be again marked, as an evil not to be extended, but to be tolerated and protected only because of and so far as its actual presence among us makes that toleration and protection a necessity. Let all the guarantees those fathers gave it, be, not grudgingly, but fully and fairly, maintained. For this Republicans contend, and with this, so far as I know or believe, they will be content.


Cooper Union speech (1860)

Abraham Lincoln Quotes

Let all who believe that our fathers, who framed the Government under which we live, understood this question just as well, and even better, than we...

Let all who believe that our fathers, who framed the Government under which we live, understood this question just as well, and even better, than we...

Let all who believe that our fathers, who framed the Government under which we live, understood this question just as well, and even better, than we...

Let all who believe that our fathers, who framed the Government under which we live, understood this question just as well, and even better, than we...