The Lincoln Year Book: Axioms and Aphorisms from the Great Emancipator
Date: 2012-03-19T00:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Lincoln; Abraham; 1809-1865 -- Quotations

The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Lincoln Year Book: Axioms and Aphorisms from the Great Emancipator

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

Title: The Lincoln Year Book: Axioms and Aphorisms from the Great Emancipator

Author: Abraham Lincoln

Compiler: Wallace Rice

Release date: March 19, 2012 [eBook #39204]

Language: English

Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/39204

Credits: Produced by David Edwards, Matthew Wheaton and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This
file was produced from images generously made available
by The Internet Archive)

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LINCOLN YEAR BOOK: AXIOMS AND APHORISMS FROM THE GREAT EMANCIPATOR ***

Cover

THE LINCOLN YEAR BOOK

AXIOMS AND APHORISMS FROM THE GREAT EMANCIPATOR

COMPILED BY
WALLACE RICE
COMPILER OF "THE FRANKLIN YEAR BOOK"

CHICAGO
A. C. McCLURG & CO.
1907

Copyright, 1907,
A. C. McClurg & Co.
Published October 12, 1907

The Lakeside Press
R. R. DONNELLEY & SONS COMPANY
CHICAGO

TO
Francis Fisher Browne
A FOLLOWER OF LINCOLN
IN WAR AND PEACE
PRINCIPLE AND PRECEPT

Let us have faith that right makes might

JANUARY

The dogmas of the past are inadequate to the stormy present.

FIRST

Always do the very best you can.

SECOND

If our sense of duty forbids, then let us stand by our sense of duty.

THIRD

It's no use to be always looking up these hard spots.

FOURTH

All I am in the world, I owe to the opinion of me which the people express when they call me "Honest Old Abe."

FIFTH

The way for a young man to rise is to improve himself in every way he can, never suspecting that anybody is hindering him.

SIXTH

No one has needed favors more than I.

SEVENTH

Whatever is calculated to improve the condition of the honest, struggling laboring man, I am for that thing.

EIGHTH

All we want is time and patience.

NINTH

I esteem foreigners as no better than other people—nor any worse.

TENTH

My experience and observation have been that those who promise the most do the least.

ELEVENTH

I didn't know anything about it, but I thought you knew your own business best.

TWELFTH

If I send a man to buy a horse for me, I expect him to tell me his points—not how many hairs there are in his tail.

THIRTEENTH

You must act.

FOURTEENTH

I will try, and do the best I can.

FIFTEENTH

His attitude is such that, in the very selfishness of his nature, he can not but work to be successful!

SIXTEENTH

Afford all an unfettered start and a fair chance in the race of life.

SEVENTEENTH

I want Christians to pray for me; I need their prayers.

EIGHTEENTH

The young men must not be permitted to drift away.

NINETEENTH

The free institutions we enjoy have developed the powers and improved the condition of the whole people beyond any example in the world.

TWENTIETH

I shall do nothing in malice.

TWENTY-FIRST

Good men do not agree.

TWENTY-SECOND

I shall, to the best of my ability, repel force by force.

TWENTY-THIRD

Ballots are the rightful and peaceful successors of bullets.

TWENTY-FOURTH

I never thought he had more than average ability when we were young men together. But, then, I suppose he thought just the same about me.

TWENTY-FIFTH

Moral cowardice is something which I think I never had.

TWENTY-SIXTH

The patriotic instinct of plain people.

TWENTY-SEVENTH

The face of an old friend is like a ray of sunshine through dark and gloomy clouds.

TWENTY-EIGHTH

Will anybody do your work for you?

TWENTY-NINTH

My rightful masters, the American people.

THIRTIETH

Should any one in any case be content that his oath shall go unkept on a merely unsubstantial controversy as to how it shall be kept?

THIRTY-FIRST

The value of life is to improve one's condition.

FEBRUARY

Let none falter who thinks he is right, and we may succeed.

FIRST

Labor is like any other commodity in the market—increase the demand for it and you increase the price of it.

SECOND

When I hear a man preach, I like to see him act as if he were fighting bees.

THIRD

I say "try," for if we never try, we never succeed.

FOURTH

The pioneer in any movement is not generally the best man to bring that movement to a successful issue.

FIFTH

Defeat and failure make everything seem wrong.

SIXTH

This nation cannot live on injustice.

SEVENTH

Something had to be done, and, as there does not appear to be any one else to do it, I did it.

EIGHTH

Poor parsons seem always to have large families.

NINTH

If it be true that the Lord has appointed me to do the work you have indicated, is it not probable that he would have communicated knowledge of the fact to me as well as to you?

TENTH

I trust I shall be willing to do my duty, though it costs my life.

ELEVENTH

I hope peace will come soon, and come to stay; and so come as to be worth the keeping in all future time.

TWELFTH

What there is of me is self-made.

THIRTEENTH

I was young once, and I am sure I was never ungenerously thrust back.

FOURTEENTH

Thank God for not making me a woman, but if He had, I suppose He would have made me just as ugly as He did, and no one would ever have tempted me.

FIFTEENTH

You may say anything you like about me,—if that will help.

SIXTEENTH

No men living are more worthy to be trusted than those who toil up from poverty—none less inclined to take, or touch, aught which they have not honestly earned.

SEVENTEENTH

As our case is new, so we must think anew.

EIGHTEENTH

I shall do less whenever I believe what I am doing hurts the cause; and I shall do more whenever I believe doing more helps the cause.

NINETEENTH

No personal significance, or insignificance, can spare one or another of us.

TWENTIETH

If I can learn God's will, I will do it.

TWENTY-FIRST

It is the nature of the case, and no one is to blame.

TWENTY-SECOND

Tell the whole truth.

TWENTY-THIRD

He sticks through thick and thin,—I admire such a man.

TWENTY-FOURTH

If by the mere force of numbers a majority should deprive a minority of any constitutional right, it might in a moral point of view justify revolution,—certainly would if such right were a vital one.

TWENTY-FIFTH

My hand was tired; but my resolution was firm.

TWENTY-SIXTH

It is a difficult role, and so much the greater will be the honor if you perform it well.

TWENTY-SEVENTH

I shall write my papers myself. The people will understand them.

TWENTY-EIGHTH

Though much provoked, let us do nothing through passion and ill-temper.

TWENTY-NINTH

Have confidence in yourself, a valuable if not indispensable quality.

MARCH

Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves; and, under a just God, can not long retain it.

FIRST

Twenty thousand is as much as any man ought to want.

SECOND

By general law, life and limb must be protected; yet often a limb must be amputated to save a life; but a life is never given merely to save a limb.

THIRD

Trust to the good sense of the American people.

FOURTH

Let us judge not, that we be not judged.

FIFTH

Put the foot down firmly.

SIXTH

The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise to the occasion.

SEVENTH

I bring a heart true to the work.

EIGHTH

The people will save their government, if the government itself will do its part only indifferently well.

NINTH

Most certainly I intend no injustice to any one, and if I have done any I deeply regret it.

TENTH

With firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right.

ELEVENTH

Action in the crisis of a nation must accord with its necessities, and therefore can seldom be confined to precedent.

TWELFTH

You can't put a long sword in a short scabbard.

THIRTEENTH

"I have made it a rule of my life," said the old parson, "not to cross Fox River until I get to it."

FOURTEENTH

It is sometimes well to be humble.

FIFTEENTH

Don't let joy carry you into excesses.

SIXTEENTH

Liberty is your birthright.

SEVENTEENTH

If the minority will not acquiesce, the majority must, or government will cease.

EIGHTEENTH

Learn the laws and obey them.

NINETEENTH

It is easy to conceive that all these shades of opinion, and even more, may be sincerely entertained by honest and truthful men.

TWENTIETH

It is better only sometimes to be right than at all times wrong.

TWENTY-FIRST

When you have an elephant on hand, and he wants to run away, better let him run.

TWENTY-SECOND

Whatever God designs, He will do for me yet.

TWENTY-THIRD

Quarrel not at all.

TWENTY-FOURTH

Let no opportunity of making a mark escape.

TWENTY-FIFTH

I want in all cases to do right; and most particularly so in all cases with women.

TWENTY-SIXTH

I should rejoice to be spared the labor of a contest, but being in I shall go it thoroughly.

TWENTY-SEVENTH

I intend discourtesy to no one.

TWENTY-EIGHTH

The doctrine of self-government is right—absolutely and eternally right.

TWENTY-NINTH

This government is expressly charged with the duty of providing for the general welfare.

THIRTIETH

We are not bound to follow implicitly in whatever our fathers did. To do so would be to reject all progress, all improvement.

THIRTY-FIRST

Understanding the spirit of our institutions to aim at the elevation of men, I am opposed to whatever tends to degrade them.

APRIL

The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause which we deem to be just.

FIRST

You can fool some of the people all of the time, or all of the people some of the time; but you can't fool all of the people all of the time.

SECOND

He has abundant talents—quite enough to occupy all his time without devoting any to temper.

THIRD

I do not argue—I beseech you to make the argument for yourself.

FOURTH

Must a government, of necessity, be too strong for the liberties of its own people, or too weak to maintain its own existence?

FIFTH

Lift artificial weights from all shoulders.

SIXTH

The purposes of the Lord are perfect and must prevail.

SEVENTH

Some people say they could not take very well to my proclamation, but now that I have the varioloid, I am happy to say I have something that everybody can take.

EIGHTH

Honest statesmanship is the employment of individual meannesses for the public good.

NINTH

Obey God's commandments.

TENTH

Men are not flattered by being shown that there has been a difference of purpose between the Almighty and them.

ELEVENTH

Important principles may and must be inflexible.

TWELFTH

There is but one duty now—to fight.

THIRTEENTH

A majority held in restraint by constitutional checks and limitations, and always changing easily with deliberate changes of popular opinions and sentiments, is the only true sovereign of a free people.

FOURTEENTH

This, too, shall pass away: never fear.

FIFTEENTH

I am not afraid to die.

SIXTEENTH

I have said nothing but what I am willing to live by, and, if it be the pleasure of Almighty God, to die by.

SEVENTEENTH

Let us strive on to finish the work we are in.

EIGHTEENTH

Give us a little more light, and a little less noise.

NINETEENTH

The wild lands of the country should be distributed so that every man should have the means and opportunity of benefiting his condition.

TWENTIETH

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 true views.

TWENTY-FIRST

There is nothing like getting used to things.

TWENTY-SECOND

When the white man governs himself, that is self-government; but when he governs himself and also governs another man, that is more than self-government—that is despotism.

TWENTY-THIRD

If they kill me, the next will be just as bad for them.

TWENTY-FOURTH

With Shakespeare the thought suffices.

TWENTY-FIFTH

As to the crazy folks—why, I must take my chances.

TWENTY-SIXTH

I think it more rare, if not more wise, for a public man to abstain from much speaking.

TWENTY-SEVENTH

At any rate, I will keep my part of the bargain.

TWENTY-EIGHTH

The Lord prefers common-looking people. That is why he made so many of them.

TWENTY-NINTH

When the time comes, I shall take the ground I think is right.

THIRTIETH

Let the thing be pressed.

MAY

Two principles have stood face to face from the beginning of time and will ever continue to struggle. The one is the common right of humanity; the other is the divine right of kings.

FIRST

Revolutionize through the ballot box.

SECOND

Repeal all past history,—you still can not repeal human nature.

THIRD

Capital has its rights, which are as worthy of protection as other rights.

FOURTH

Teach men that what they can not take by an election, neither can they take by war.

FIFTH

I authorize no bargains, and will be bound by none.

SIXTH

When a man is sincerely penitent for his misdeeds, and gives satisfactory evidence of the same, he can safely be pardoned.

SEVENTH

If destruction be our lot, it must spring up among ourselves.

EIGHTH

In a democracy, where the majority rule by the ballot through the forms of law, physical rebellions are radically wrong, unconstitutional, and are treason.

NINTH

Let us be friends, and treat each other like friends.

TENTH

If I was less thin-skinned I should get along much better.

ELEVENTH

We will talk over the merits of the case.

TWELFTH

Nothing shall be wanting on my part, if sustained by the American people and God.

THIRTEENTH

Are you not over-cautious?

FOURTEENTH

The severest justice may not always be the best policy.

FIFTEENTH

The rule of a minority, as a permanent arrangement, is wholly inadmissible.

SIXTEENTH

One poor man, colored though he be, with God on his side, is stronger against us than the hosts of the Rebellion.

SEVENTEENTH

Never fear, victory will come.

EIGHTEENTH

The Lord has not deserted me thus far, and He is not going to now.

NINETEENTH

I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life.

TWENTIETH

Are you strong enough?

TWENTY-FIRST

If I do not go away from here a wiser man, I shall go away a better man.

TWENTY-SECOND

I know that liberty is right.

TWENTY-THIRD

You must not give me the praise—it belongs to God.

TWENTY-FOURTH

It has always been a sentiment with me that all mankind should be free.

TWENTY-FIFTH

I don't pretend to be bright.

TWENTY-SIXTH

It is only by the active development of events that character and ability can be tested.

TWENTY-SEVENTH

I remember a good story when I hear it, but I never invented anything original: I am only a retail dealer.

TWENTY-EIGHTH

Few men are tried, or so many would not fit their places so badly.

TWENTY-NINTH

Preach God and liberty to the "bulls" and "bears."

THIRTIETH

The Union is older than any of the States.

THIRTY-FIRST

I only beg that you will not ask impossibilities of me.

JUNE

It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us,—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to the cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion,—that we here highly resolve that the dead shall not have died in vain.

FIRST

Let the people know the truth, and the country is safe.

SECOND

Men moving in an official circle are apt to become merely official—not to say arbitrary.

THIRD

Negroes, like other people, act upon motives. Why should they do anything for us if we will do nothing for them?

FOURTH

The Lord is always on the side of the right.

FIFTH

If I go down, I intend to go down like the "Cumberland," with my colors flying.

SIXTH

Killing the dog does not cure the bite.

SEVENTH

I am nothing, but truth is everything.

EIGHTH

Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed.

NINTH

Whatever shall appear to be God's will, I will do.

TENTH

Only those generals who gain success can be dictators.

ELEVENTH

Can aliens make treaties easier than friends can make laws?

TWELFTH

The Patagonians open oysters and throw the shells out of the window—until the pile gets higher than the house; then they move.

THIRTEENTH

The question of time can not and must not be ignored.

FOURTEENTH

We must be more cheerful in the future.

FIFTEENTH

Come what will, I will keep my faith with friend and foe.

SIXTEENTH

Keep in your own sphere, and there will be no difficulty.

SEVENTEENTH

If we could first know where we are and whither we are tending, we could better judge what to do and how to do it.

EIGHTEENTH

I am never easy, when I am handling a thought, until I have bounded it north, south, east, and west.

NINETEENTH

Others have been made fools of by the girls, but this can never be said of me; I made a fool of myself.

TWENTIETH

It is not best to swap horses while crossing a stream.

TWENTY-FIRST

I can only trust in God that I have made no mistake.

TWENTY-SECOND

It has been said of the world's history hitherto that "might makes right"; it is for us and for our times to reverse the maxim, and to show that right makes might.

TWENTY-THIRD

I shall stay right here and do my duty.

TWENTY-FOURTH

If we have no friends, we have no pleasure.

TWENTY-FIFTH

I am older in years than I am in the tricks and trades of politicians.

TWENTY-SIXTH

Any people anywhere, being inclined and having the power, have the right to rise up and shake off the existing government and form a new one that suits them better.

TWENTY-SEVENTH

Our enemies want a squabble; and that they can have if we explain; and they can not have it if we don't.

TWENTY-EIGHTH

If it must be that I go down, let me go down linked to truth.

TWENTY-NINTH

I am very little inclined on any occasion to say anything unless I hope to produce some good by it.

THIRTIETH

Let us forget errors.

JULY

Our fathers brought forth upon this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

FIRST

This country, with all its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it.

SECOND

What is the use of putting up the gap when the fence is down all around?

THIRD

We hold the power—and bear the responsibility.

FOURTH

My countrymen, if you have been taught doctrines conflicting with the great landmarks of the Declaration of Independence; if you have listened to suggestions which would take away from its grandeur and mutilate the fair symmetry of its proportions; if you have been inclined to believe that all men are not created equal in those inalienable rights enumerated by our charter of liberty, let me entreat you to come back.

FIFTH

The Fourth of July has not quite dwindled away; it is still a great day for firecrackers.

SIXTH

I have never had a feeling, politically, that did not spring from the sentiments embodied in the Declaration of Independence.

SEVENTH

I have more pegs than holes to put them in.

EIGHTH

The government must not undertake to run the churches.

NINTH

All seems well with us.

TENTH

With public sentiment, nothing can fail; without it, nothing can succeed.

ELEVENTH

It is no child's play to save the principles of Jefferson from total overthrow in this nation.

TWELFTH

If the Ship of State should suffer wreck now, it will never need another pilot.

THIRTEENTH

Let us see what we can do.

FOURTEENTH

I will try to go to God with my sorrows.

FIFTEENTH

The wriggle to live, without toil, work, or labor, which I am not free from myself.

SIXTEENTH

Persisting in a charge one does not know to be true is malicious slander.

SEVENTEENTH

Steer from point to point—no farther than you can see.

EIGHTEENTH

God bless the women of America!

NINETEENTH

The churches, as such, must take care of themselves.

TWENTIETH

There is no more dangerous or expensive analysis than that which consists of trying a man.

TWENTY-FIRST

Answer with facts, not with arguments.

TWENTY-SECOND

The nation is beginning a new life.

TWENTY-THIRD

Better give your path to a dog than to be bitten by him in contesting for the right.

TWENTY-FOURTH

Money being the object, the man having money would be the victim.

TWENTY-FIFTH

I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.

TWENTY-SIXTH

Early impressions last longer.

TWENTY-SEVENTH

Stand with anybody who stands right, ... and part with him when he goes wrong.

TWENTY-EIGHTH

My advice is to keep cool.

TWENTY-NINTH

If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher.

THIRTIETH

I have done just as much as, and no more than, the public knows.

THIRTY-FIRST

Many free countries have lost their liberties and ours may lose hers; but, if she shall, be it my proudest boast, not that I was the last to desert, but that I never deserted her.

AUGUST

I feel that I can not succeed without the Divine blessing, and on the Almighty Being I place my reliance for support.

FIRST

It is not "Can any of us imagine better?" but "Can we all do better?"

SECOND

Perpetuity is implied, if not expressed, in the fundamental law of all national governments.

THIRD

Wanting to work is so rare a merit that it should be encouraged.

FOURTH

We shall sooner have the fowl by hatching the egg than by smashing it.

FIFTH

Maintain the honor and integrity of the nation.

SIXTH

I look to the American people, and to that God who has never forsaken them.

SEVENTH

Secure peace through victory.

EIGHTH

What is the influence of fashion but the influence that other people's actions have on our actions?

NINTH

Our government rests in public opinion.

TENTH

Posterity has done nothing for us, and, theorize on it as we may, practically we shall do very little for it unless we are made to think we are, at the same time, doing something for ourselves.

ELEVENTH

I am glad to find a man who can go ahead without me.

TWELFTH

If you would win a man to your cause, first convince him you are his sincere friend.

THIRTEENTH

Gold is good in its place; but living, brave, and patriotic men are better than gold.

FOURTEENTH

These are not the days of miracles, and I suppose I am not to expect a direct revelation.

FIFTEENTH

Do not mix politics with your profession.

SIXTEENTH

The first reformer in any movement has to meet with such a hard opposition, and gets so battered and bespattered, that afterward, when people find they have to accept his reform, they will accept it more easily from another man.

SEVENTEENTH

Versatility is an injurious possession, since it can never be greatness.

EIGHTEENTH

A jury has too frequently at least one member more ready to hang the panel than to hang the traitor.

NINETEENTH

It is a cheering thought throughout life, that something can be done to ameliorate the condition of those who have been subjected to the hard usages of the world.

TWENTIETH

With some the word liberty may mean for each man to do as he pleases with himself, and the product of his labor; while with others the same word may mean for some men to do as they please with other men, and the product of other men's labor.

TWENTY-FIRST

Great distance in either time or space has wonderful power to lull and render quiescent the human mind.

TWENTY-SECOND

We are going through with our task.

TWENTY-THIRD

I do not impugn the motives of any one opposed to me.

TWENTY-FOURTH

Human nature will not change.

TWENTY-FIFTH

Beware of rashness!

TWENTY-SIXTH

It is difficult to make a man miserable while he feels he is worthy of himself.

TWENTY-SEVENTH

All should have an equal chance.

TWENTY-EIGHTH

I hope to be false to nothing you have been taught to expect of me.

TWENTY-NINTH

All honor to Jefferson!

THIRTIETH

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

THIRTY-FIRST

I hope I am a Christian.

SEPTEMBER

I feel that the time is coming when the sun shall shine, the rain fall, on no man who shall go forth to unrequited toil.

FIRST

Labor is the superior of capital and deserves much the higher consideration.

SECOND

Come, let us reason together, like the honest fellows we are.

THIRD

There is no such thing as a free man being fixed for life in the condition of a hired laborer.

FOURTH

There is, and probably always will be, a relation between labor and capital producing mutual benefits.

FIFTH

Labor is prior to and independent of capital.

SIXTH

This is a land where freedom of speech is guaranteed.

SEVENTH

Workingmen are the basis of all governments.

EIGHTH

Why should there not be a patient confidence in the ultimate justice of the people? Is there any better or equal hope in the world?

NINTH

The man does not live who is more devoted to peace than I.

TENTH

How hard it is to leave one's country no better than if one had never lived in it!

ELEVENTH

Keep the jewel of liberty in the family of freedom.

TWELFTH

Among freemen there can be no successful appeal from the ballot to the bullet.

THIRTEENTH

I have done all I could for the good of mankind.

FOURTEENTH

It is my constant anxiety and prayer that I and this nation should be on the Lord's side.

FIFTEENTH

No man is good enough to govern another man without that other's consent.

SIXTEENTH

What will the country say?

SEVENTEENTH

Mediocrity is sure of detection.

EIGHTEENTH

Washington was a happy man, because he was engaged in benefiting his race.

NINETEENTH

When the conduct of men is designed to be influenced, persuasion—kind, unassuming persuasion—should ever be adopted.

TWENTIETH

If all that has been said by orators and poets since the creation in praise of women were applied to the women of America, it would not do them full justice for their conduct during the war.

TWENTY-FIRST

There is something ludicrous in promises of good or threats of evil a great way off.

TWENTY-SECOND

Object whatsoever is possible, still the question recurs, "Can we do better?"

TWENTY-THIRD

I invoke the considerate judgment of mankind and the gracious favor of Almighty God.

TWENTY-FOURTH

God is with us.

TWENTY-FIFTH

Intemperance is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, of all evils among mankind.

TWENTY-SIXTH

When any church will inscribe over its altar, as its sole qualification for membership, the Saviour's condensed statement of both law and gospel, that church will I join with all my heart and soul.

TWENTY-SEVENTH

Wise counsels may accelerate, or mistakes delay it, but the victory is sure to come.

TWENTY-EIGHTH

The first necessity is of proving that popular government is not an absurdity.

TWENTY-NINTH

People seldom run unless there is something to run from.

THIRTIETH

Allow the people to do as they please with their own business.

OCTOBER

Great statesmen as they (the Fathers of the Republic) were, they knew the tendency of prosperity to breed tyrants, and so they established these great self-evident truths, that when in the future some man, some faction, some interest, should set up the doctrine that none but rich men, none but white men, or none but Anglo-Saxon white men were entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, their posterity might look up again to the Declaration of Independence and take courage to renew the battle which their fathers began, so that truth and justice and mercy and all the humane and Christian virtues might not be extinguished from the land; so that no man would hereafter dare to limit and circumscribe the great principles on which the temple of liberty was being built.

FIRST

Nothing stamped with the Divine image and likeness was sent into the world to be trodden on and degraded and imbruted by its fellows.

SECOND

You must remember that some things legally right are not morally right.

THIRD

Mercy bears richer rewards than strict justice.

FOURTH

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things.

FIFTH

It is not much in the nature of man to be driven to do anything.

SIXTH

All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my mother.

SEVENTH

The times are too grave and perilous for ambitious schemes and personal rivalries.

EIGHTH

Act as becomes a patriot.

NINTH

Suspicion and jealousy never did help any man in any situation.

TENTH

If danger ever reaches us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad.

ELEVENTH

I can't take pay for doing my duty.

TWELFTH

I have not willingly planted a thorn in any man's bosom.

THIRTEENTH

We had better have a friend than an enemy.

FOURTEENTH

In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free.

FIFTEENTH

No man resolved to make the most of himself can spare time for personal contention.

SIXTEENTH

There is no grievance that is a fit subject of redress by mob law.

SEVENTEENTH

Punishment has to follow sin.

EIGHTEENTH

Let us to the end dare to do our duty.

NINETEENTH

Few can be induced to labor exclusively for posterity, and none will do it enthusiastically.

TWENTIETH

It is a quality of revolutions not to go by old lines or old laws, but to break up both and make new ones.

TWENTY-FIRST

Military glory—that attractive rainbow that rises in showers of blood.

TWENTY-SECOND

Pleasures to be enjoyed, or pains to be endured, after we shall be dead and gone, are but little regarded.

TWENTY-THIRD

Allow all the governed an equal voice in the government; that, and that alone, is self-government.

TWENTY-FOURTH

The universal sense of mankind on any subject is an argument, or at least an influence, not easily overcome.

TWENTY-FIFTH

Without guile and with pure purpose, let us renew our trust in God and go forward without fear and with manly hearts.

TWENTY-SIXTH

Unless among those deficient of intellect, every one you trade with makes something.

TWENTY-SEVENTH

Implore the compassion and forgiveness of the Almighty, that he may enlighten the nation to know and to do His will.

TWENTY-EIGHTH

We should look beyond our noses.

TWENTY-NINTH

Labor for all now living, as well as all hereafter to live.

THIRTIETH

I have acted upon my best convictions, without selfishness or malice.

THIRTY-FIRST

Success does not so much depend upon external help as on self-reliance.

NOVEMBER

All are of the great family of men, and if there is one shackle upon any of them, it would be far better to lift the load.

FIRST

Men should utter nothing for which they would not be willingly responsible through time and in eternity.

SECOND

Never mind if you are a count; you shall be treated with just as much consideration, for all that.

THIRD

If Almighty God gives a man a cowardly pair of legs, how can he help their running away with him?

FOURTH

It is against my principles to contest a clear matter of right.

FIFTH

The strife of elections is but human nature applied to the facts of the case.

SIXTH

How nobly distinguished that people who shall have planted and nurtured both the political and moral freedom of their species!

SEVENTH

If we succeed, there will be glory enough.

EIGHTH

Office seekers are a curse to the country.

NINTH

Justice to all.

TENTH

It must be somebody's business.

ELEVENTH

Every man has a right to be equal to every other man.

TWELFTH

Happy day, when, all appetites controlled, all passions subdued, all matter subjugated, mind, conquering mind, shall live and move, the monarch of the world!

THIRTEENTH

We will be remembered in spite of ourselves.

FOURTEENTH

I don't know anything about money. I never had enough of my own to fret me.

FIFTEENTH

Heal the wounds of the nation.

SIXTEENTH

I am not at liberty to shift my ground, that is out of the question.

SEVENTEENTH

For thirty years I have been a temperance man, and I am too old to change.

EIGHTEENTH

The heart is the great highroad to man's reason.

NINETEENTH

Hope to all the world for all future time.

TWENTIETH

The young men must not wait to be brought forward by the older men.

TWENTY-FIRST

Hold firm as a chain of steel.

TWENTY-SECOND

One war at a time.

TWENTY-THIRD

I did not break my sword, for I had none to break, but I bent my musket pretty badly.

TWENTY-FOURTH

Meet face to face and converse together—the best way to efface unpleasant feeling.

TWENTY-FIFTH

And now for a day of Thanksgiving!

TWENTY-SIXTH

The influence of fashion is not confined to any particular thing or class of things.

TWENTY-SEVENTH

Before I resolve to do the one thing or the other, I must gain my confidence in my own ability to keep my resolves when they are made.

TWENTY-EIGHTH

Such of us as have never fallen victims to intemperance have been spared more from the absence of appetite than from any mental or moral superiority over those who have.

TWENTY-NINTH

Our political revolution of 1776 was the germ that has vegetated, and still is to grow into the universal liberty of mankind.

THIRTIETH

By mutual concessions we should harmonize and act together.

DECEMBER

Teach hope to all—despair to none.

FIRST

Rise up to the height of a generation of free men worthy of a free government.

SECOND

Let us be quite sober.

THIRD

We prefer a candidate who will allow the people to have their own way, regardless of his private opinion.

FOURTH

The people's will is the ultimate law for all.

FIFTH

I shall do my utmost that whoever is to hold the helm for the next voyage shall start with the best possible chance of saving the ship.

SIXTH

My gratitude is free from all sense of personal triumph.

SEVENTH

How to do something, and not to do too much, is the desideratum.

EIGHTH

We mean to be as deliberate and calm as it is possible to be; but as firm and resolved as it is possible for men to be.

NINTH

He that will fight to keep himself a slave, ought to be a slave.

TENTH

If the end brings me out wrong, ten angels swearing I was right would make no difference.

ELEVENTH

Under all this seeming want of life and motion, the world does move nevertheless.

TWELFTH

I shall never be old enough to speak without embarrassment when I have nothing to talk about.

THIRTEENTH

It adds nothing to my satisfaction that another man shall be disappointed.

FOURTEENTH

Take your full time.

FIFTEENTH

I surely will not blame them for not doing what I should not know how to do myself.

SIXTEENTH

The man and the dollar, but, in case of conflict, the man before the dollar.

SEVENTEENTH

The strongest bond of human sympathy, outside of the family relation, should be one uniting all working people, of all nations, and tongues, and kindreds.

EIGHTEENTH

We can see the past, though we may not claim to have directed it; and seeing it, we feel more hopeful and confident for the future.

NINETEENTH

Squirming and crawling around can do no good.

TWENTIETH

I wish to see all men free.

TWENTY-FIRST

Let them laugh, so long as the thing works well.

TWENTY-SECOND

Let there be peace.

TWENTY-THIRD

The age is not yet dead.

TWENTY-FOURTH

With malice toward none, with charity for all.

TWENTY-FIFTH

Let us at all times remember that all American citizens are brothers of a common country.

TWENTY-SIXTH

Be hopeful.

TWENTY-SEVENTH

Let not him who is homeless pull down the house of another.

TWENTY-EIGHTH

The struggle for to-day is not altogether for to-day—it is for a vast future.

TWENTY-NINTH

We can not escape history.

THIRTIETH

We here highly resolve that the dead shall not have died in vain; that the nation shall, under God, have a new birth of freedom; and that the government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth.

THIRTY-FIRST

Let us dare to do our duty as we understand it.

Uniform with this Volume

The Franklin Year Book. Maxims and Morals from the Great American Philosopher for Every Day in the Year. Compiled by Wallace Rice . . . Net $1.00

A. C. McClurg & Co.
Chicago

*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LINCOLN YEAR BOOK: AXIOMS AND APHORISMS FROM THE GREAT EMANCIPATOR ***

Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will be renamed.

Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away—you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark license, especially commercial redistribution.

START: FULL LICENSE

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG™ LICENSE

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK

To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work (or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project Gutenberg License available with this file or online at www.gutenberg.org/license.

Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg electronic works

1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property (trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg electronic works in your possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project Gutenberg electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.

1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg electronic works even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project Gutenberg electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.

1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project Gutenberg electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the United States and you are located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project Gutenberg mission of promoting free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg name associated with the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg License when you share it without charge with others.

1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project Gutenberg work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any country other than the United States.

1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:

1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg License must appear prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg work (any work on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, copied or distributed:

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg™ License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg electronic work is derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg electronic work is posted with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked to the Project Gutenberg License for all works posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.

1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg.

1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project Gutenberg License.

1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg work in a format other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official version posted on the official Project Gutenberg website (www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.

1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg works unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing access to or distributing Project Gutenberg electronic works provided that:

- • You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from the use of Project Gutenberg works calculated using the method you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg trademark, but he has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in Section 4, “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.”

- • You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™ License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™ works.

- • You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of receipt of the work.

- • You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works.

1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.

1.F.

1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project Gutenberg™ collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment.

1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the “Right of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further opportunities to fix the problem.

1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.

1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.

1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg work, and (c) any Defect you cause.

Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg

Project Gutenberg is synonymous with the free distribution of electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from people in all walks of life.

Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg’s goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg collection will remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure and permanent future for Project Gutenberg and future generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org.

Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation

The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws.

The Foundation’s business office is located at 41 Watchung Plaza #516, Montclair NJ 07042, USA, +1 (862) 621-9288. Email contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact

Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation

Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without widespread public support and donations to carry out its mission of increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations ($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt status with the IRS.

The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate.

While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who approach us with offers to donate.

International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.

Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate.

Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg electronic works

Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and distributed Project Gutenberg eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.

Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.

Most people start at our website which has the main PG search facility: www.gutenberg.org.

This website includes information about Project Gutenberg, including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.

Table of Contents

- THE LINCOLN YEAR BOOK
- JANUARY
- FEBRUARY
- MARCH
- APRIL
- MAY
- JUNE
- JULY
- AUGUST
- SEPTEMBER
- OCTOBER
- NOVEMBER
- DECEMBER
- THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG™ LICENSE