No man is good enough to govern another man without that other's consent.
— Abraham Lincoln
About this Quote
Quote in Context
Judge Douglas frequently, with bitter irony and sarcasm, paraphrases our argument by saying: "The white people of Nebraska are good enough to govern themselves, but they are not good enough to govern a few miserable negroes!"
Well! I doubt not that the people of Nebraska are and will continue to be as good as the average of people elsewhere. I do not say the contrary. What I do say is that no man is good enough to govern another man without that other's consent.''''' I say this is the leading principle, the sheet-anchor of American republicanism. Our Declaration of Independence says: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."
I have quoted so much at this time merely to show that, according to our ancient faith, the just powers of governments are derived from the consent of the governed. Now the relation of master and slave is pro tanto'' a total violation of this principle. The master not only governs the slave without his consent, but he governs him by a set of rules altogether different from those which he prescribes for himself. Allow ALL the governed an equal voice in the government, and that, and that only, is self-government.'''
Quote Source Information
• Source: Wikiquote: "Abraham Lincoln" (Quotes, 1850s, Speech at Peoria, Illinois (1854):
Speech at Peoria, Illinois, in Reply to Senator Douglas (16 October 1854); published in The Complete Works of Abraham Lincoln (1894) Vol. 2 )
About this Picture
Name: Life and Works of Abraham Lincoln vol 3 p 8
Description: This is a photo from Life and Works of Abraham Lincoln vol 3. Edited by Marion Mills Miller. Published by Current Literature. New York 1907. Original caption read FROM PHOTOGRAPH BY BRADY LINCOLN IN FEBRUARY, 1860 At the time of the Cooper Institute Speech
Date: 1907
Source: File:Life and Works of Abraham Lincoln, v3.djvu
Author: Brady Publisher: Current Literature
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