On the recordAugust 24, 1855
We now practically read it, all men are created equal except negroes.
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gutenberg.orgWe now practically read it, all men are created equal except negroes.
In a letter to his friend Joshua Speed, Lincoln sharply criticizes the nation's practical application of the Declaration of Independence, which excluded African Americans from its promise of equality.
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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.
The question is, will it be wiser to take it as it is and help to improve it, or to reject and disperse it?
I am considering, and shall not fail to act when satisfied that action will be proper.