On the recordOctober 16, 1854
The argument of "necessity" was the only argument they ever admitted in favour of slavery, and so far, and so far only as it carried them, did they ever go.
Source
gutenberg.orgAbraham Lincoln: “The argument of "necessity" was the only argument they ever admitted in favour of slavery, and so far, and so far only…”
Editor's note · Context
In his Peoria speech, Lincoln argued that the Founding Fathers only tolerated slavery out of perceived necessity, never endorsing it as a moral right.
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