I am like a man so busy in letting rooms in one end of his house, that he can't stop to put out the fire that is burning the other.
Abraham LincolnRead
I think that if anything can be proved by natural theology, it is that slavery is morally wrong. God gave man a mouth to receive bread, hands to feed it, and his hand has a right to carry bread to his mouth without controversy.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the moral wrongness of slavery based on natural rights and divine providence.
Abraham Lincoln asserts that natural theology, which considers moral truths found in nature and reason, clearly indicates that slavery is unjust. He argues that each person has inherent rights to sustenance and autonomy, as symbolized by the mouth and hands given to them by God, highlighting that no one should be obstructed from fulfilling their basic needs or rights.
Themes
SlaveryMoralityNatural RightsJusticeFreedom
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a speech about human rights to emphasize the importance of moral integrity.
More from Abraham Lincoln
All quotes →Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right.
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Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.
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How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg? Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg.
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For it has been said, all that a man hath will he give for his life; and while all contribute of their substance the soldier puts his life at stake, and often yields it up in his country's cause. The highest merit, then is due to the soldier.
Abraham LincolnRead
And having thus chosen our course, without guile, and with pure purpose, let us renew our trust in God, and go forward without fear, and with manly hearts.
Abraham LincolnRead
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