--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: God knows that I detest slavery, but it…" description: "\"God knows that I detest slavery, but it is an existing evil, for which we are not responsible, and we must endure it, till we can get rid of it without..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7eb/millard-fillmore-30417_destroying_god-knows-that-i-detest-slavery-but-it-i_508178.png" --- # God knows that I detest slavery, but it is an existing… ![“God knows that I detest slavery, but it is an existing evil, for which we are not responsible, and we must endure it, till we can get rid of it without destroying the last hope of free government in the world.” quote by Millard Fillmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7eb/millard-fillmore-30417_destroying_god-knows-that-i-detest-slavery-but-it-i_508178.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7eb/millard-fillmore-30417_destroying_god-knows-that-i-detest-slavery-but-it-i_508178.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7eb/millard-fillmore-30417_destroying_god-knows-that-i-detest-slavery-but-it-i_508178.png) > “God knows that I detest slavery, but it is an existing evil, for which we are not responsible, and we must endure it, till we can get rid of it without destroying the last hope of free government in the world.” [Millard Fillmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/millard-fillmore/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Slavery is an evil we must endure until we can end it without destroying hope for free government. **In simple terms:** Endure slavery temporarily to preserve hope for freedom. Key Takeaway Work toward ending slavery responsibly. Themes slavery politics hope government Mood historical critical Type political ethical When to use this quote - legislative debate - civil rights activism - historical analysis Key Concepts Moral compromise political strategy Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance moral urgency with political stability? - What alternatives exist to immediate abolition? A Different Perspective Enduring evil may legitimize it. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Free government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-government/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Hope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hope/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Slavery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slavery/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“God knows that I detest slavery, but it is an existing evil, for which we are not responsible, and we must endure it, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-rayback/god-knows-that-i-detest-slavery-but-it-is-an-existing-evil-for-which-2/) [Robert J. Rayback](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-j-rayback/) > [God knows I detest slavery but it is an existing evil, and we must endure it and give it such protection as is guaranteed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millard-fillmore/god-knows-i-detest-slavery-but-it-is-an-existing-evil-and-we-must/) [Millard Fillmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/millard-fillmore/) > [You can best fight any existing evil from the inside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hattie-mcdaniel/you-can-best-fight-any-existing-evil-from-the-inside/) [Hattie McDaniel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hattie-mcdaniel/) > [Can you look forward to the future of our country and imagine any state of things in which, with slavery still existing, we should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dale-owen/can-you-look-forward-to-the-future-of-our-country-and-imagine-any/) [Robert Dale Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dale-owen/) > [In the first place, I insist that our fathers did not make this nation half slave and half free, or part slave and part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/in-the-first-place-i-insist-that-our-fathers-did-not-make-this-nation/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Frankly, Django is an American story that needs to be told, when you think of slavery existing in this country for 245 years. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-tarantino/frankly-django-is-an-american-story-that-needs-to-be-told-when-you/) [Quentin Tarantino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-tarantino/) > [I am opposed to any form of tyranny over the mind of man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/i-am-opposed-to-any-form-of-tyranny-over-the-mind-of-man/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“For my part I consider the central idea pervading this struggle is the necessity that is upon us of proving that popular government is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelby-foote/for-my-part-i-consider-the-central-idea-pervading-this-struggle-is/) [Shelby Foote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelby-foote/) > [Religion and virtue are the only foundations, not of republicanism and of all free government, but of social felicity under all government and in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-adams/religion-and-virtue-are-the-only-foundations-not-of-republicanism-and/) [John Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-adams/) > [I deny the right of Congress to force a slaveholding State upon an unwilling people. 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Yet if any sect suffered itself to be used for political objects I would meet it by political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millard-fillmore/i-am-tolerant-of-all-creeds-yet-if-any-sect-suffered-itself-to-be/) [Millard Fillmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/millard-fillmore/) > [The nourishment is palatable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millard-fillmore/the-nourishment-is-palatable/) [Millard Fillmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/millard-fillmore/) > [Let us remember that revolutions do not always establish freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millard-fillmore/let-us-remember-that-revolutions-do-not-always-establish-freedom/) [Millard Fillmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/millard-fillmore/) > [The man who can look upon a crisis without being willing to offer himself upon the altar of his country is not for public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millard-fillmore/the-man-who-can-look-upon-a-crisis-without-being-willing-to-offer-2/) [Millard Fillmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/millard-fillmore/) > [The ability to produce every necessity of life renders us independent in war as well as in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millard-fillmore/the-ability-to-produce-every-necessity-of-life-renders-us-independent/) [Millard Fillmore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/millard-fillmore/) [Explore all 17 Millard Fillmore quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/millard-fillmore/) ## More Destroying quotes > [Life as we know it is fundamentally unsatisfying. 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Shall we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/do-not-suppose-that-abuses-are-eliminated-by-destroying-the-object/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [The future is religion and commerce, aphrodisiac and Benzedrine, a mother of mysterious comfort and a mistress of familiar ravishments ever on the verge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-kennedy/the-future-is-religion-and-commerce-aphrodisiac-and-benzedrine-a/) [Eugene Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-kennedy/) > [Time is a corrosive fluid, dissolving motivation, destroying novelty, and leaching the joy from life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-stross/time-is-a-corrosive-fluid-dissolving-motivation-destroying-novelty/) [Charles Stross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-stross/) > [Religion grants its adherents malign, intoxicating and morally corrosive sensations. Destroying intellectual freedom is always evil, but only religion makes doing evil feel quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/religion-grants-its-adherents-malign-intoxicating-and-morally/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [Even if we are destroying this planet, we are playing our role perfectly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-kest/even-if-we-are-destroying-this-planet-we-are-playing-our-role/) [Bryan Kest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-kest/) > [Love creates an "us" without destroying the "me".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-buscaglia/love-creates-an-us-without-destroying-the-me/) [Leo Buscaglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-buscaglia/) > [As societies grow decadent, the language grows decadent, too. 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