They have adopted a temporary national constitution, in the preamble of which, unlike our good old one signed by Washington, they omit "We, the people," and substitute "We, the deputies of the sovereign and independent States." Why?
Abraham Lincoln: “They have adopted a temporary national constitution, in the preamble of which, unlike our good old one signed by…”
On the recordJuly 4, 1861
Source
gutenberg.orgEditor's note · Context
Lincoln pointed out that the Confederate constitution's preamble replaced "We, the people" with "We, the deputies of the sovereign and independent States," signifying a different foundation of government.
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