Abolition Quote by Solomon Northrup
““The law says you have the right to hold a nigger, but begging the law's pardon, it lies. . . Is everything right because the law allows it? Suppose they'd pass a law taking away your liberty and making you a slave?””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Unknown, possibly interview or public address
Questioning the moral authority of law when it permits injustice and oppression
In simple terms: Laws can be unjust and oppressive
Key Takeaway
Critically evaluate legal authority
Themes
justice
law
ethics
power
rights
Mood
thoughtful
critical
concerned
Type
philosophical
political
When to use this quote
- Activism
- legal reform
- education
- personal decision
Key Concepts
Moral relativism
legal positivism
civil disobedience
Questions to Reflect On
- What determines the morality of a law?
- How can individuals resist unjust laws?
A Different Perspective
Laws may reflect power structures, not universal morality
![“You have not been mistaken in supposing my views and feeling to be in favor of the abolition of war. Of my dispos[i]tion to maintain peace until its condition shall be made less tolerable than that of war itself, the world has had proofs, and more, perhaps, than it has approved. I hope it is…” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/77f/thomas-jefferson-43_abolition_you-have-not-been-mistaken-in-supposing_184816.jpg)
