On the recordMay 5, 1861
When you have got an elephant by the hind legs and he is trying to run away, it's best to let him run.
Source
nps.govWhen you have got an elephant by the hind legs and he is trying to run away, it's best to let him run.
A humorous take on the wisdom of knowing when to let go.
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More from Abraham Lincoln
As a general rule I abstain from reading the reports of attacks upon myself, wishing not to be provoked by that to which I cannot properly offer an answer.
Grant that he desires the elective franchise, will he not attain it sooner by saving the already advanced steps towards it, than by running backward over them?
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.
If the end brings me out all right, what is said against me won't amount to anything.