“At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.”
- 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
“At what point then is the approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.”
Explanation
In this powerful statement, Lincoln stresses that the greatest threat to the United States does not come from external forces or foreign powers, but from within—through internal division and self-destruction. He argues that if the nation were to fall, it would be due to its own failure to uphold its principles of liberty and unity, not because of an outside enemy. The phrase “if destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher” suggests that the greatest danger is self-inflicted, stemming from disunity, corruption, or the abandonment of the nation’s core values.
Historically, this quote was delivered during a time of intense political conflict in the United States, specifically leading up to the Civil War. Lincoln was deeply concerned with the threat of secession and the fragmentation of the Union. The “self-destruction” he refers to here alludes to the potential collapse of the Union, which, at the time, was being torn apart by the issue of slavery and other political differences. Lincoln saw the nation’s survival as tied to its ability to overcome these internal divisions and remain united.
In the modern context, this warning about internal strife remains relevant, especially in times of political polarization, social unrest, or ideological conflict. The idea that a nation can be its own worst enemy is echoed in debates about the stability of democracies, the rise of extremism, and the potential for civil unrest. The quote reminds us that the health of a nation depends on its ability to manage internal disagreements and maintain a commitment to unity and shared purpose, lest it face a metaphorical “suicide”—the collapse of the social and political order from within.
