From that epic speech (the like of which folks in pre-electronic days delivered and listened to with relish), Conor Friedersdorf this July Fourth morning highlights Lincoln’s statement on the core ideals of the Declaration of Independence:
Abraham Lincoln, 1858
These communities, by their representatives in old Independence Hall, said to the whole world of men: “We hold these truths to be self evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” This was their majestic interpretation of the economy of the Universe. This was their lofty, and wise, and noble understanding of the justice of the Creator to His creatures. [Applause.] Yes, gentlemen, to all His creatures, to the whole great family of man. In their enlightened belief, nothing stamped with the Divine image and likeness was sent into the world to be trodden on, and degraded, and imbruted by its fellows. They grasped not only the whole race of man then living, but they reached forward and seized upon the farthest posterity. They erected a beacon to guide their children and their children’s children, and the countless myriads who should inhabit the earth in other ages. Wise statesmen as they were, they knew the tendency of prosperity to breed tyrants, and so they established these great self-evident truths, that when in the distant future some man, some faction, some interest, should set up the doctrine that none but rich men, or none but 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. [Loud cheers.]
Now, my countrymen (Mr. Lincoln continued with great earnestness,) 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 chart of liberty, let me entreat you to come back. Return to the fountain whose waters spring close by the blood of the Revolution. Think nothing of me—take no thought for the political fate of any man whomsoever—but come back to the truths that are in the Declaration of Independence. You may do anything with me you choose, if you will but heed these sacred principles. You may not only defeat me for the Senate, but you may take me and put me to death. While pretending no indifference to earthly honors, I do claim to be actuated in this contest by something higher than an anxiety for office. I charge you to drop every paltry and insignificant thought for any man’s success. It is nothing; I am nothing; Judge Douglas is nothing. But do not destroy that immortal emblem of Humanity—the Declaration of American Independence [Abraham Lincoln, speech, Lewistown, Illinois, August 17, 1858, as reported by “G.P.,” Chicago Press and Tribune, 1858.08.21, from Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, Volume 2].
Drop every paltry and insignificant thought for any man’s success. Think this Fourth of July and every day thereafter about the founding principles of this great nation.
I don’t want to give it away. One of only two copies and can’t be read with the naked eye.
mike from iowa
My bad. The dates are what can’t be read with the naked eye. The doc itself is readable.
Porter Lansing
It’s cool that Mrs. Trump does her own tweets, misspellings and all.
Melania Trump
@FLOTUS
Happy #IndependanceDay
May God bless this great nation & all the people who protect it!
This was their lofty, and wise, and noble understanding of the justice of the Creator to His creatures… Yes, gentlemen, to all His creatures, to the whole great family of man. In their enlightened belief, nothing stamped with the Divine image and likeness was sent into the world to be trodden on, and degraded, and imbruted by its fellows.
That reminds me: I’ve had my share of disagreements with Stace Nelson and Lora Hubbel, but I believe the way Pat Powers personally degrades them—along with the way some SDWC commenters pile onto that degradation—is the most destructive thing happening in South Dakota politics.
mike from iowa
Ah, but Kurt was he referring to the Flying Spaghetti Monster as the creator?
Since I was conceived naturally/normally, I have always considered my parents of blessed memory as my creators.
mike from iowa
The Displaced Plainsman has an article about Mr Nelson that is a really good read. And it did not mention Nelson’s proclivity to resorting to bully tactics when he feels threatened.
FWIW, coming from me, I recommend every inw read it.
The Displaced Plainsman has an article about Mr Nelson that is a really good read. And it did not mention Nelson’s proclivity to resorting to bully tactics when he feels threatened.
There are ways to criticize Stace’s tactics without personally degrading him, and some of what I’ve seen at SDWC isn’t just degrading but dehumanizing. The same is true with regard to Lora. These are people with souls and feelings like the rest of us.
Alex Jones called for a second civil war and some intelligent Libs took up his offer. Their posts from the front are priceless.
Porter Lansing
Pat Powers is as easy to read as a Weekly Reader. He posts article after article that nobody comments on. So to keep his readership numbers up to where he can sell ads the easiest way possible, he posts hate columns about Lora and Stace. Pat’s just a lazy daisy. The criticism belongs with all the Republicans that get their jolly’s being mean, anonymously. #LowSelfEsteemedJerkRabbits
mike from iowa
Dear Kurt, Nelson’s hands are not clean. Regards, mfi
Debbie
Mike from Iowa,
Libs are not involved in the #secondcivilwar. The Second Civil war refers to the whooping of Crowley in NY.
mike from iowa
Sure they are, Debbie. Alex Jones started it, Libs are gonna finish it.
“Libs are gonna finish it” said an old feeble man from iowa who holds no job, lives off the public dole and comments only to hear himself speak. . .
Happy 4th. Wish you could have participated in preserving it. dork
jerry
Old soviet, I read this today and by golly, it fits you to a T.
“The only way trump could connect with these fine upstanding voters any deeper than he has, I tell you, is to start a meth lab in his basement.”
Roger Cornelius
As I read Lincoln’s words it became painfully obviously that American dialogue has become seriously derailed in the past 15 months.
We no longer hear words of freedoms, equality, justice and other words that defined who we were and who we are now.
We don’t have a president that understands the Constitution or the Bill of Rights and how much those two documents gave us. We have a president that fails to strengthen and unite this country.
We’ll survive Trump because we have to.
Debbo
“come back to the truths that are in the Declaration of Independence.”
That segment is just marvelous Cory. There is passion. There is soul-deep, genuine patriotism. Lincoln was right. Look to the Declaration for the purpose of the existence of this nation.
We are much more than we seem to be at this moment in time. I believe our purpose as Americans is to return our nation to past glory. I don’t mean military glory. I mean glory of purpose.
Debbo
Great link Mike. I knew nothing about that second copy. How exciting!
Of course she can’t let Child Abuser get his hands on it. He’d sell it to the highest bidder and keep the money for himself. Or cut it up in little pieces and sell it that way if he thought he could get more $ for it.
leslie
Corey-cancel old sarge’s ticket:.”…holds no job, lives off the public dole and comments only to hear himself speak. . .”
There is no room on any civil blog for this fascist horsesheit.
Maybe Thune n the boys are in Russia seeking political asylum as a result of Alex Jones warning. Great place to be on the 4th Thune. You make me proud. As you snivel at Trumps feet, consort with the murderous ruskys for him, stand idly while he ruins agriculture and let him insult our true friends. All so you can photo bomb a few pics on Fox. Thanks john thune your a great man…
mike from iowa
How ballistic would wingnuts have gone had Obama said the constitution was dumb law?
Thanks, Leslie, but OldSferbrains comments don’t bother me. I just consider the source and then ignore it.
mike from iowa
Just for you, Debbo with my compliments to the bravest who fight these ungawdly wars so I don’t have to.
Kurt, I agree that Pat’s constant personal denigration and “enemy-fication” of a small handful of fringe members of his own party is terribly destructive. Pat’s tactics are subject to Lincoln’s critique. Pat’s blogging, when he breaks away from the press-release filler, consists mostly of “paltry and insignificant thought[s]” for certain men’s success… or in the cases of Nelson and Hubbel, certain people’s failure. Pat’s public activity is mostly about personality and power, not the principles, policy, and public welfare to which Lincoln calls us.
Debbo rightly points to the real source of America’s glory, our glory of purpose, not same fake glory of arms. Resorting to force signals that our principles have failed. That’s why we don’t need to parade our tanks and missiles; we make a far greater, far more sustainable, far more ally-winning impression by parading our ideals.
Debbo
Thanks Mike. I love those letters, some of the most hilarious stuff I’ve read relating to politics. There are some fine, but wicked minds on the Left! 😆😆😆
Speaking of the devil. look what the bloody British discovered and had recently verified…..https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YngdkyEGsbk
I don’t want to give it away. One of only two copies and can’t be read with the naked eye.
My bad. The dates are what can’t be read with the naked eye. The doc itself is readable.
It’s cool that Mrs. Trump does her own tweets, misspellings and all.
Melania Trump
@FLOTUS
Happy #IndependanceDay
May God bless this great nation & all the people who protect it!
Great post, Cory.
Abraham Lincoln said:
That reminds me: I’ve had my share of disagreements with Stace Nelson and Lora Hubbel, but I believe the way Pat Powers personally degrades them—along with the way some SDWC commenters pile onto that degradation—is the most destructive thing happening in South Dakota politics.
Ah, but Kurt was he referring to the Flying Spaghetti Monster as the creator?
Since I was conceived naturally/normally, I have always considered my parents of blessed memory as my creators.
The Displaced Plainsman has an article about Mr Nelson that is a really good read. And it did not mention Nelson’s proclivity to resorting to bully tactics when he feels threatened.
FWIW, coming from me, I recommend every inw read it.
inw is ki-sawahili for one, not.
“mike from iowa” writes:
There are ways to criticize Stace’s tactics without personally degrading him, and some of what I’ve seen at SDWC isn’t just degrading but dehumanizing. The same is true with regard to Lora. These are people with souls and feelings like the rest of us.
http://juanitajean.com/happy-4th-of-july-heres-something-youll-enjoy/
Alex Jones called for a second civil war and some intelligent Libs took up his offer. Their posts from the front are priceless.
Pat Powers is as easy to read as a Weekly Reader. He posts article after article that nobody comments on. So to keep his readership numbers up to where he can sell ads the easiest way possible, he posts hate columns about Lora and Stace. Pat’s just a lazy daisy. The criticism belongs with all the Republicans that get their jolly’s being mean, anonymously. #LowSelfEsteemedJerkRabbits
Dear Kurt, Nelson’s hands are not clean. Regards, mfi
Mike from Iowa,
Libs are not involved in the #secondcivilwar. The Second Civil war refers to the whooping of Crowley in NY.
Sure they are, Debbie. Alex Jones started it, Libs are gonna finish it.
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/395417-social-media-trolls-alex-jones-with-second-civil-war-letters
“Libs are gonna finish it” said an old feeble man from iowa who holds no job, lives off the public dole and comments only to hear himself speak. . .
Happy 4th. Wish you could have participated in preserving it. dork
Old soviet, I read this today and by golly, it fits you to a T.
“The only way trump could connect with these fine upstanding voters any deeper than he has, I tell you, is to start a meth lab in his basement.”
As I read Lincoln’s words it became painfully obviously that American dialogue has become seriously derailed in the past 15 months.
We no longer hear words of freedoms, equality, justice and other words that defined who we were and who we are now.
We don’t have a president that understands the Constitution or the Bill of Rights and how much those two documents gave us. We have a president that fails to strengthen and unite this country.
We’ll survive Trump because we have to.
“come back to the truths that are in the Declaration of Independence.”
That segment is just marvelous Cory. There is passion. There is soul-deep, genuine patriotism. Lincoln was right. Look to the Declaration for the purpose of the existence of this nation.
We are much more than we seem to be at this moment in time. I believe our purpose as Americans is to return our nation to past glory. I don’t mean military glory. I mean glory of purpose.
Great link Mike. I knew nothing about that second copy. How exciting!
Of course she can’t let Child Abuser get his hands on it. He’d sell it to the highest bidder and keep the money for himself. Or cut it up in little pieces and sell it that way if he thought he could get more $ for it.
Corey-cancel old sarge’s ticket:.”…holds no job, lives off the public dole and comments only to hear himself speak. . .”
There is no room on any civil blog for this fascist horsesheit.
libs fix (finish it) things…? yah got that right. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ny-daily-news-clown-king-trump_us_5b3c5efbe4b05127cced929b
Maybe Thune n the boys are in Russia seeking political asylum as a result of Alex Jones warning. Great place to be on the 4th Thune. You make me proud. As you snivel at Trumps feet, consort with the murderous ruskys for him, stand idly while he ruins agriculture and let him insult our true friends. All so you can photo bomb a few pics on Fox. Thanks john thune your a great man…
How ballistic would wingnuts have gone had Obama said the constitution was dumb law?
Thanks, Leslie, but OldSferbrains comments don’t bother me. I just consider the source and then ignore it.
Just for you, Debbo with my compliments to the bravest who fight these ungawdly wars so I don’t have to.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2018/07/03/no-place-to-recharge-my-kindle-letters-imagine-the-front-lines-of-americas-second-civil-war/?utm_term=.976e6e7df7d8
Kurt, I agree that Pat’s constant personal denigration and “enemy-fication” of a small handful of fringe members of his own party is terribly destructive. Pat’s tactics are subject to Lincoln’s critique. Pat’s blogging, when he breaks away from the press-release filler, consists mostly of “paltry and insignificant thought[s]” for certain men’s success… or in the cases of Nelson and Hubbel, certain people’s failure. Pat’s public activity is mostly about personality and power, not the principles, policy, and public welfare to which Lincoln calls us.
Ending a comment with a cheap one-word personal insult shows the same failure of commitment to Lincoln’s noble principles. Shame on you, OldSarg.
Debbo rightly points to the real source of America’s glory, our glory of purpose, not same fake glory of arms. Resorting to force signals that our principles have failed. That’s why we don’t need to parade our tanks and missiles; we make a far greater, far more sustainable, far more ally-winning impression by parading our ideals.
Thanks Mike. I love those letters, some of the most hilarious stuff I’ve read relating to politics. There are some fine, but wicked minds on the Left! 😆😆😆