[Alberta's Child]

“This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it, or exercise their revolutionary right to overthrow it.” — Abraham Lincoln

This quote is from Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address in 1861.

Looking back on it now, or even just two years later, one would have a hard time believing he said this with a straight face.

[Captain Walker]

Congressman Lincoln would have had President Lincoln thrown in jail for his conduct as President; the congressman told anyone who listened to his campaign speeches that secession was absolutely a right held by the states.

Virginia, New York, and Rhode Island would never have ratified the Constitution without assurance that each of them had the right of secession.

[x]

Looking back on it now, or even just two years later, one would have a hard time believing he said this with a straight face.

Nonsense. He meant exactly what he said. The people could change the Constitution or overturn the government. Congress could consent to a state's departure. But no state or group could all on their own decide that they weren't part of the country.

[DiogenesLamp]

I wasn't aware of that quote, but I know of two others that are more explicit. One in 1848, and another in 1852.

Yes, Lincoln was for it before he was against it.

[moehoward]

“This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it, or exercise their revolutionary right to overthrow it.” — Abraham Lincoln”

Yeah. But he said this in the preceding paragraph.....

“Physically speaking, we can not separate. We can not remove our respective sections from each other nor build an impassable wall between them. A husband and wife may be divorced and go out of the presence and beyond the reach of each other, but the different parts of our country can not do this. “

The “institutions” alluded to in your quote was slavery. Apparently telegraphing that states could choose to end the practice since he was clearly against its spread.

[jmacusa]

I believe that quote was made by Lincoln during his debate with Stephen Douglas.

[DoodleDawg]

Looking back on it now, or even just two years later, one would have a hard time believing he said this with a straight face.

Why?