Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Introduction
- Chronology
- Biographical synopses
- A note on sources and abbreviations
- Bibliographical note
- I Political Writings and Speeches
- II Notes and Fragments
- 36 On Government (1854?)
- 37 On Slavery (1854?)
- 38 On Slavery and Democracy (1858?)
- 39 On Pro-slavery Theology (1858)
- 40 On the Struggle against Slavery (c. July 1858)
- 41 On Racial (In)equality 1
- 42 On Racial (In)equality 2
- 43 The Declaration of Independence includes all men
- 44 On Slavery, Property, and the Constitution
- 45 On Labor and Capital 1 (c. 1846–7)
- 46 On Labor and Capital 2
- 47 On Labor and Capital 3
- 48 On Liberty
- 49 On the Thirteenth Amendment (abolition of slavery)
- Index
40 - On the Struggle against Slavery (c. July 1858)
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 April 2013
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Introduction
- Chronology
- Biographical synopses
- A note on sources and abbreviations
- Bibliographical note
- I Political Writings and Speeches
- II Notes and Fragments
- 36 On Government (1854?)
- 37 On Slavery (1854?)
- 38 On Slavery and Democracy (1858?)
- 39 On Pro-slavery Theology (1858)
- 40 On the Struggle against Slavery (c. July 1858)
- 41 On Racial (In)equality 1
- 42 On Racial (In)equality 2
- 43 The Declaration of Independence includes all men
- 44 On Slavery, Property, and the Constitution
- 45 On Labor and Capital 1 (c. 1846–7)
- 46 On Labor and Capital 2
- 47 On Labor and Capital 3
- 48 On Liberty
- 49 On the Thirteenth Amendment (abolition of slavery)
- Index
Summary
I have never professed an indifference to the honors of official station; and were I to do so now, I should only make myself ridiculous. Yet I have never failed – do not now fail – to remember that in the Republican cause there is a higher aim than that of mere office. I have not allowed myself to forget that the abolition of the Slave-trade by Great Britain, was agitated a hundred years before it was a final success; that the measure had its open fire-eating opponents; its stealthy “don’t care” opponents; its dollar and cent opponents; its inferior race opponents; its negro equality opponents; and its religion and good order opponents; that all these opponents got offices, and their adversaries got none. But I have also remembered that, though they blazed like tallow-candles for a century, at last they flickered in the socket, died out, stank in the dark for a brief season, and were remembered no more, even by the smell. School-boys know that Wilberforce, and Granville Sharp, helped that cause forward; but who can now name a single man who labored to retard it? Remembering these things I cannot but regard it as possible that the higher object of this contest may not be completely attained within the term of my natural life.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- LincolnPolitical Writings and Speeches, pp. 227Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2012