“I am naturally anti-slavery. If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong. I can not remember when I did not so think and feel.”
- February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865
- American
- Politician, lawyer
- As the 16th President of the United States, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation and led the Civil War to maintain the unity of the nation.
Quote
“I am naturally anti-slavery. If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong. I can not remember when I did not so think and feel.”
Explanation
In this powerful statement, Abraham Lincoln expresses his deep and unwavering moral opposition to slavery. He frames slavery as a fundamental moral wrong, declaring that if such an institution is not wrong, then there can be no clear moral distinction between right and wrong. This sentiment reveals Lincoln’s personal conviction and his belief that slavery was not just a political issue but a profound moral evil. He insists that his opposition to slavery was innate, something he had always felt, underscoring the strength of his moral character and commitment to justice.
Historically, this quote reflects Lincoln’s evolution as a politician and his moral development on the issue of slavery. While Lincoln initially focused on preventing the expansion of slavery into new territories, his position on the moral nature of slavery grew stronger as the nation approached the Civil War. The quote can be seen as a precursor to his later public actions, such as the Emancipation Proclamation, which made the abolition of slavery a central goal of the Union war effort. By framing slavery as a universal wrong, Lincoln also aligned himself with the growing abolitionist movement that called for the immediate abolition of slavery throughout the United States.
In modern contexts, Lincoln’s moral clarity about slavery serves as a touchstone for ongoing discussions about human rights and justice. The idea that a society must confront its moral wrongs resonates in contemporary movements for racial justice and equality. For example, ongoing debates about racial inequality, police brutality, and systemic racism in the U.S. echo Lincoln’s challenge to confront and eradicate deep societal wrongs. Just as Lincoln could not reconcile the existence of slavery with any notion of morality, today’s social justice movements push to dismantle systems of oppression that are seen as inherently unjust.
