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words of wisdom....

I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be
depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring
them the real facts. -- Abraham Lincoln

...........a truly great man:thumbsup:

xoxoxoo

Truly...words of wisdom.

Unfortunately, when Lincoln spoke of "the people" he meant the people of a certain skin tone.

For some words of wisdom I would prefer:

"Your Honor,years ago I recognized my kinship with all living beings, and I made up my mind that I was not one bit better than the meanest on earth. I said then, and I say now, that while there is a lower class, I am in it" - Eugene Debs

Quote:

Originally Posted by Strange Famous

Unfortunately, when Lincoln spoke of "the people" he meant the people of a certain skin tone.

I was unaware you were a Lincoln Scholar, let alone the fact you obviously had access to his thinking process. Given the society of the time, and the attitudes slavery created in the population there may very well be some level of accuracy to your claim, I do not however see it as a forgone conclusion as you seem to. Regardless, even if you happened to be there to ask his motivation for the statement, and could therefor make such a claim...The Idea is sound, and wise.

For some words of wisdom I would prefer:

"Your Honor,years ago I recognized my kinship with all living beings, and I made up my mind that I was not one bit better than the meanest on earth. I said then, and I say now, that while there is a lower class, I am in it" - Eugene Debs

The above statement is also well created, and carries its own wisdom...I don't see however, where a commentary on one of the elite feeling a kinship with another caste has anything to do with a general comment on the whole of society to use truth as a guide to civil growth.

Your reply almost seems a "My Dad is bigger than Your Dad" banter.

Lincoln, for all his greatness, was also a man whose thoughts and beliefs on race and "civil growth" were as unenlightened as any man of the times.

From his opening remarks at the fourth Lincoln - Douglas debate:

Quote:

While I was at the hotel to-day, an elderly gentleman called upon me to know whether I was really in favor of producing a perfect equality between the negroes and white people. [Great Laughter.]

While I had not proposed to myself on this occasion to say much on that subject, yet as the question was asked me I thought I would occupy perhaps five minutes in saying something in regard to it. I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races, [applause]-that I am not nor ever have been in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality.

And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race.
http://www.nps.gov/archive/liho/debate4.htm