Constitution Quote by Abraham Lincoln
“We think the Dred Scott decision is erroneous. We know the court that made it has often overruled its own decisions, and we shall do what we can to have it overrule this.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Address to Congress, 1862
Lincoln argues that past judicial errors can be corrected by future rulings, urging proactive legal reform.
In simple terms: Past mistakes can be fixed by new decisions.
Key Takeaway
Advocate for correcting wrongful precedents.
Themes
justice
law
reform
precedent
activism
Mood
determined
hopeful
Type
political
historical
When to use this quote
- civil rights legislation
- court challenges
- constitutional amendments
Key Concepts
Legal theory
constitutional change
judicial review
Questions to Reflect On
- How can societies ensure courts learn from past errors?
- What mechanisms best enable corrective rulings?
A Different Perspective
Legal change may face entrenched institutional resistance.
![“In one point of view, we, the abolitionists and colored people, should meet [the Dred Scott] decision, unlooked for and monstrous as it appears, in a cheerful spirit. This very attempt to blot out forever the hopes of an enslaved people may be one necessary link in the chain of events preparatory…” quote by Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/33c/frederick-douglass-859_abolitionist_in-one-point-of-view-we-the-abolitionist_2046976.jpg)
![“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)
