Quotes from Abraham Lincoln

It is a great piece of folly to attempt to make anything out of my early life.

In my view of the present aspect of affairs, there is no need of bloodshed and war. There is no necessity for it. I am not in favor of such a course, and I may say in advance, there will be no blood shed unless it be forced upon the government. The government will not use force unless force is used against it.

I go to assume a task more difficult than that which devolved upon Washington. Unless the great God, who assisted him, shall be with me and aid me, I must fail; but if the same omniscient mind and almighty arm that directed and protected him shall guide and support me, I shall not fail - I shall succeed.

The written word may be man's greatest invention. It allows us to converse with the dead, the absent, and the unborn.

A man has not the time to spend half his life in quarrels. If any man ceases to attack me, I never remember the past against him.

When I go hear a man speak, I like to hear him speak like he's fighting a swarm of bees.

I believe the declaration that 'all men are created equal' is the great fundamental principle upon which our free institutions rest.

No man ever got lost on a straight road.

Allow me to assure you, that suspicion and jealousy never did help any man in any situation.

If all men were just, there still would be some, though not so much, need of government.

I am now the most miserable man living. If what I feel were felt by the whole human race, there would not be one cheerful face left on earth.

All things desirable to men are contained in the Bible.

A man's legs must be long enough to reach the ground.

The only security a man can ever have is the ability to do a job uncommonly well.

It is the man who does not want to express an opinion whose opinion I want.

A noble spirit embiggens the smallest man.

Persuasion, kind, unassuming persuasion, should be adopted to influence the conduct of men. The opposite course would be a reversal of human nature, which is God's decree and can never be reversed.

And then, there will be some black men who can remember that, with silent tongue, and clenched teeth, and steady eye, and well-poised bayonnet, they have helped mankind on to this great consummation.

The man who stands by and says nothing, when the peril of his government is discussed, can not be misunderstood. If not hindered, he is sure to help the enemy.

I hold that while a man exists, it is his duty to improve not only his own condition, but to assist in ameliorating mankind.

I think the authors of that notable instrument [the Declaration of Independence] intended to include all men.

I wish all men to be free. I wish the material prosperity of the already free which I feel sure the extinction of slavery would bring.

But, slavery is good for some people! ! ! As a good thing, slavery is strikingly peculiar, in this, that it is the only good thing which no man ever seeks the good of, for himself.

We cannot ask a man what he will do, and if we should, and he should answer us, we should despise him for it. Therefore we must take a man whose opinions are known.