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
Do the people of the South really entertain fears that a Republican administration would, directly, or indirectly, interfere with their slaves, or with them, about their slaves? If they do, I wish to assure you, as once a friend, and still, I hope, not an enemy, that there is no cause for such fears.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote addresses fears regarding interference with slavery and attempts to reassure the South about the intentions of a Republican administration.
Abraham Lincoln's quote reflects the anxieties of Southern slaveholders concerning the potential impact of a Republican administration on slavery. He aims to allay these fears by assuring them that there is no intention to interfere with their slaves or their practices, emphasizing a need for understanding and dialogue amidst a charged political environment.
Themes
SlaveryPoliticsFearAssuranceUnderstanding
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion about the historical concerns of slaveholders during the Civil War.
More from Abraham Lincoln
All quotes βSir, 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
The nakedness of the indigent world may be clothed from the trimmings of the vain.
Oliver GoldsmithRead
Perhaps the belief in God is the belief that the universe is intelligible, but not to us.
Thomas NagelRead
Institutions mistake good intentions for objectives. They say "health care"; that's an intention, not an objective.
Peter DruckerRead
Modesty and conscientiousness receive their reward only in novels. In life they are exploited and then shoved aside.
Erich Maria RemarqueRead
I wish to be useful, and every kind of service necessary to the public good becomes honorable by being necessary.
Nathan HaleRead
Perhaps I can say that I am a bit astute, that I can adapt to circumstances, but it is also true that I am a bit naive. Yes, but the best summary, the one that comes more from the inside and I feel most true is this: I am a sinner whom the Lord has looked upon.
Pope FrancisRead