I am like a man so busy in letting rooms in one end of his house, that he can't stop to put out the fire that is burning the other.
Abraham LincolnRead
Either the opponents of slavery will arrest the further spread of it and place it where the public mind shall rest in the belief that it is in course of ultimate extinction, or its advocates will push it forward, till it shall become alike lawful in all the States - old as well as new - North as well as South.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the crucial turning point in the struggle against slavery, suggesting that action must be taken to either halt its spread or risk its legitimacy becoming widespread.
Abraham Lincoln's quote emphasizes the critical juncture in the American societal view on slavery, where the future of this institution hinged on the actions taken by either its opponents or advocates. He warns that if slavery's opponents fail to halt its expansion, it will gain legal acceptance across all states, thereby legitimizing an institution that many believed was morally and ethically wrong. This underscores the importance of proactive measures in social justice movements, reflecting the ongoing battle between progress and regression in society.
Themes
SlaveryChangeJusticeActionAdvocacy
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a speech addressing the importance of civil rights activism.
More from Abraham Lincoln
All quotes →Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right.
Abraham LincolnRead
Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.
Abraham LincolnRead
How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg? Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg.
Abraham LincolnRead
For it has been said, all that a man hath will he give for his life; and while all contribute of their substance the soldier puts his life at stake, and often yields it up in his country's cause. The highest merit, then is due to the soldier.
Abraham LincolnRead
And having thus chosen our course, without guile, and with pure purpose, let us renew our trust in God, and go forward without fear, and with manly hearts.
Abraham LincolnRead
Similar quotes
When the Taliban was ruling Afghanistan, women were not allowed to go to school, to work, or even leave the house without a male chaperone. The greatest moment was when that ended.
Sonita AlizadehRead
Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.
John F. KennedyRead
We are not the same India that the world saw in the 1970s and '80s. Hence, we have a responsibility to live up to the pedestal on which we have been put.
N. R. Narayana MurthyRead
You change society by changing the wind. Change the wind, transform the debate, recast the discussion, alter the context in which political discussions are being made, and you will change the outcomes... You will be surprised at how fast the politicians adjust to the change in the wind.
Jim WallisRead
Our whole life is set up in the path of least resistance. We don't want to suffer. We don't want to feel discomfort. So the whole time, we're living our lives in a very comfortable area. There's no growth in that.
David GogginsRead
If it hadn't been for that march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge on Bloody Sunday, there would be no Barack Obama as President of the United States of America.
John LewisRead