Historical voices

If they produce in one section of the country what is called for by the wants of another section, and this other section can supply the wants of the first, they are not matters of discord, but bonds of union, true bonds of union.

They do not make "a house divided against itself," but they make a house united.

But in the right to eat the bread, without the leave of anybody, which his own hand earns, he is my equal, and the equal of Judge Douglas, and the equal of any living man.

I hold that he is as much entitled to these as the white man.

I have never said anything to the contrary; but I hold, that, notwithstanding all this, there is no reason in the world why the negro is not entitled to all the natural rights enumerated in the Declaration of Independence,--the right to…

Anything that argues me into his idea of perfect social and political equality with the negro is but a specious and fantastic arrangement of words, by which a man can prove a horse-chestnut to be a chestnut horse.

I certainly cannot introduce testimony to show the negative about things, but I have a right to claim that if a man says he knows a thing, then he must show how he knows it.

A man cannot prove a negative, but he has a right to claim that when a man makes an affirmative charge, he must offer some proof to show the truth of what he says.

If God gave him but little, that little let him enjoy.

All I ask for the negro is, that if you do not like him, let him alone.

In pointing out that more has been given you, you cannot be justified in taking away the little which has been given him.

Still, in the right to put into his mouth the bread that his own hands have earned, he is the equal of every other man, white or black.

I have said that I do not understand the Declaration to mean that all men were created equal in all respects.

I have again and again said that I would not enter into any one of the States to disturb the institution of slavery.

It was my purpose and expectation that this canvass would be conducted upon principle, and with fairness on both sides, and it shall not be my fault if this purpose and expectation shall be given up.

I planted myself upon the truth and the truth only, so far as I knew it, or could be brought to know it.

So I hope those with whom I am surrounded have principle enough to nerve themselves for the task, and leave nothing undone that can fairly be done to bring about the right result.

We have to fight this battle upon principle, and upon principle alone.

I leave you, hoping that the lamp of liberty will burn in your bosoms until there shall no longer be a doubt that all men are created free and equal.

Let us discard all these things, and unite as one people throughout this land, until we shall once more stand up declaring that all men are created equal.

My friends, I have detained you about as long as I desired to do, and I have only to say, let us discard all this quibbling about this man and the other man, this race and that race and the other race being inferior, and therefore they…

Let us, then, turn this government back into the channel in which the framers of the Constitution originally placed it.

If we cannot give freedom to every creature, let us do nothing that will impose slavery upon any other creature.

So I say in relation to the principle that all men are created equal, let it be as nearly reached as we can.