Abraham Lincoln, speech at Chicago, Illinois (July 10, 1858), in Roy P. Basler, ed., The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, vol. 2, p. 493 (1953).

I believe each individual is naturally entitled to do as he pleases with himself and the fruit of his labor, so far as it in no wise interferes with any other man's rights, that each community, as a State, has a right to do exactly as it pleases with all the concerns within that State that interfere with the right of no other State, and that the general government, upon principle, has no right to interfere with anything other than that general class of things that does concern the whole.

— Abraham Lincoln on States' rights

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "I believe each individual is naturally entitled to do as he pleases with himself and the fruit of his labor, so far as it in no wise interferes with any other man's rights, that each community, as a State, has a right to do exactly as it pleases with all the concerns within that State that interfere with the right of no other State, and that the general government, upon principle, has no right to interfere with anything other than that general class of things that does concern the whole." in the context of "Abraham Lincoln, speech at Chicago, Illinois (July 10, 1858), in Roy P. Basler, ed., The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, vol. 2, p. 493 (1953)." to mean that wisdom is timeless.

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Source: Wikiquote: "States' rights" (Quotes, L) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed February 05, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Abraham Lincoln

About Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln, a self-taught lawyer and politician, steered the United States through its most tumultuous period, the Civil War. His unwavering commitment to preserving the Union and abolishing slavery forever altered the course of American history and enshrined him as a champion of equality and justice.