Abraham Lincoln, in an address to an Indiana Regiment passing through Washington (17 March 1865); Roy P. Basler (ed.) Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, vol. 8 (1953), p. 361
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I have always thought that all men should be free; but if any should be slaves, it should be first those who desire it for themselves, and secondly, those who desire it for others. When I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally.

— Abraham Lincoln on History of slavery

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "I have always thought that all men should be free; but if any should be slaves, it should be first those who desire it for themselves, and secondly, those who desire it for others. When I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally." in the context of "Abraham Lincoln, in an address to an Indiana Regiment passing through Washington (17 March 1865); Roy P. Basler (ed.) Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, vol. 8 (1953), p. 361" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

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Source: Wikiquote: "History of slavery" (Quotes, 19th century) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed February 05, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app

Tags

#Abraham Lincoln#desire#those#themselves#personally#secondly#thought#arguing#slavery#impulse#always#slaves
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.