47 quotes
President of the United States from 1861 to 1865
“As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy.”
"There has never been but one question in all civilization-how to keep a few men from saying to many men: You work and earn bread and we will eat it."
on Economy
"Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves and under a just God cannot long retain it."
on Freedom
"I am not concerned that you have fallen -- I am concerned that you arise."
on Resilience
"Character is like a tree and reputation its shadow. The shadow is what we think it is and the tree is the real thing."
on Character
"Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?"
on Wisdom
"I am naturally anti-slavery. If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong."
"It is difficult to make a man miserable while he feels worthy of himself and claims kindred to the great God who made him."
on Faith
"Have I not destroyed my enemy when I have made him into my friend?"
"I am not bound to win but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed but I am bound to live up to what light I have."
on Inspirational
"I claim not to have controlled events but confess plainly that events have controlled me."
on Philosophy
"I shall try to correct errors when shown to be errors and I shall adopt new views so fast as they shall appear to be new views."
on Learning
"You can fool some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time but you cannot fool all of the people all the time."
on Truth
"The struggle of today, is not altogether for today - it is for a vast future also."
on Activism
"My greatest concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are concerned with your failure."
on Success
"You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down."
"Determine that the thing can and shall be done and then... find the way."
on Motivation
"I am a slow walker, but I never walk back."
on Perseverance
"The ballot is stronger than the bullet."
"He has a right to criticize, who has a heart to help."
"I do the very best I know how, the very best I can, and I mean to keep on doing so until the end."
