Abstract Quote by Abraham Lincoln
![“[T]he man who, in the concrete pressure of a struggle for national independence by a single people, had the coolness, forecast, and capacity to introduce into a merely revolutionary document, an abstract truth, applicable to all men and all times, and so to embalm it there, that to-day, and in all…” quote by Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c56/abraham-lincoln-88_abstract_t-he-man-who-in-the-concrete-pressure-of_1336960.jpg)
“[T]he man who, in the concrete pressure of a struggle for national independence by a single people, had the coolness, forecast, and capacity to introduce into a merely revolutionary document, an abstract truth, applicable to all men and all times, and so to embalm it there, that to-day, and in all coming days, it shall be a rebuke and a stumbling-block to the very harbingers of reappearing tyranny and oppression.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Address on national independence, 1865
A revolutionary document can embed timeless truths that challenge future tyranny, preserving liberty across ages.
In simple terms: Documents can hold lasting, universal truths.
Key Takeaway
Embed enduring principles in foundational texts.
Themes
freedom
tyranny
revolution
truth
legacy
Mood
hopeful
serious
Type
historical
political
When to use this quote
- legal drafting
- education
- activism
Key Concepts
constitutional law
philosophy of rights
historical precedent
Questions to Reflect On
- How can societies protect foundational truths?
- What risks arise when documents become static?
A Different Perspective
Changing contexts may reinterpret or dilute original meanings.
![“Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then [these?], any man might instantly use what another had invented; so that the inventor had no special advantage from his own invention. The patent system changed this…” quote by Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/449/abraham-lincoln-88_adoption_next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in_1828.jpg)
