CONCERNING THE FREEDOM OF THE PRESS, WHEN URGED TO SUPPRESS THE CHICAGO TIMES. "I fear you do not fully comprehend the danger of abridging the liberties of the people. Nothing but the sternest necessity can ever justify it. A government had better go to the extreme of toleration, than do aught that can be construed into an interference with, or to jeopardize in any degree, the common rights of its citizens." SPEECH AT THE BALTIMORE FAIR, "The world is in want of a good definition of the word liberty. We all declare ourselves to be for liberty, but we do not all mean the same thing. Some mean that a man can do as he pleases with himself and his property. With others it means that some men can do as they please with other men and other men's labor. Each of these things is called liberty, although they are entirely different. To give an illustration: A shepherd drives the wolf from the throat of his sheep when attacked by him, and the sheep of course thanks the shepherd for the protection of his life; but the wolf denounces him as despoiling the sheep of his libertyespecially if it be a black sheep." REPLY TO MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL SYNOD OF THE LUTHERAN CHURCH, AUGUST, 1864. "I accept with gratitude their assurances of the sympathy and support of that enlightened, influential, and loyal class of my fellow-citizens, in an important crisis which involves, in my judgment, not only the civil and religious liberties of our own dear land, but in a large degree the civil and religious liber ties of mankind in many countries and through many ages." SPEECH AT A SERENADE, SEPT., 1864. "I wish it might be more generally and universally understood what the country is now engaged in. We have, as all will agree, a free country, where every man has a right to be equal with every other man. In this great struggle the form of government and every form of human right is endangered if our enemies succeed. There is more involved in this contest than is realized by every one. There is involved in this struggle the question whether your children and my children shall enjoy the privileges we have enjoyed." TO AN OHIO REGIMENT, SEPT., 1864. "I happen, temporarily to occupy this big White House. I am a living witness that any of your children may look to come here, as my father's child has. It is in order that each one of you may have, through this free government which we have enjoyed, an open field and a fair chance for your industry, enterprise and intelligence; that you may all have equal privileges in the race of life, with all its desirable human aspirations-it is for this that the struggle should be maintained, that we may not lose our birthrights." GETTYSBURG SPEECH, NOV. 19, 1863. "That we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom; and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." SPEECH AT AN ELECTION SERENADE, NOV. 10, 1864. "It has long been a grave question whether any government, not too strong for the liberties of the people, can be strong enough to maintain its existence in great emergencies. But the election has demonstrated that a people's government can sustain a national election in the midst of a great civil war. Until now, it has not been known to the world that this was a possibility." SPEECH AT A SERENADE, OCT. 19, 1864. "Their (the people's) will, constitutionally expressed, is the ultimate law for all. If they should deliberately resolve to have immediate peace, even at the expense of their country and their liberties, I have not the power nor the right to resist them. It is their own business, |