“Repeal the Missouri Compromise – repeal all compromises – repeal the Declaration of Independence – repeal all past history, you still cannot repeal human nature. It will be the abundance of man’s heart that slavery extension is wrong; and out of the abundance of his heart, his mouth will continue to speak.”
- 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
“Repeal the Missouri Compromise – repeal all compromises – repeal the Declaration of Independence – repeal all past history, you still cannot repeal human nature. It will be the abundance of man’s heart that slavery extension is wrong; and out of the abundance of his heart, his mouth will continue to speak.”
Explanation
In this powerful statement, Abraham Lincoln highlights the inherent truth of human nature that cannot be altered by political decisions or laws. The Missouri Compromise (1820), which was designed to maintain the balance between slave and free states, had already been repealed by the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854, leading to heated debates over the expansion of slavery into new territories. Lincoln argues that no matter how the political landscape is reshaped, the fundamental moral opposition to slavery cannot be erased. His reference to the “abundance of man’s heart” speaks to the idea that people’s conscience and ethical values will eventually surface, no matter how much political or legal structures might try to suppress them.
This quote is particularly relevant in the context of Lincoln’s moral stance against the extension of slavery. He believed that, despite the compromises and political maneuvers made to preserve the Union, slavery was a moral wrong that could not be justified. In modern terms, the quote speaks to the idea that certain ethical truths and human rights cannot be manipulated or suppressed by laws or political compromises—they are intrinsic and enduring. Even today, this notion is used in various struggles for civil rights and justice, where moral truths challenge unjust systems and laws.
The quote reflects Lincoln’s broader political philosophy, especially as expressed in his debates with Stephen A. Douglas, where he argued that “slavery is wrong” and could not be morally justified, regardless of public opinion or legal justifications. It emphasizes that some principles—like human dignity and equality—are fundamental and immutable, transcending political and legal changes.
