Lincoln, Abraham -- Interview (1859-09-17?) with David R. Locke, Columbus, Ohio

Dave — Fri, 03 Apr 2020 18:32:29 +0000

Slavery is doomed, and that within a few years. Even Judge Douglas admits it to be an evil, and an evil can’t stand discussion. In discussing it we have taught a great many thousands of people to hate it who had never given it a thought before. What kills the skunk is the publicity it gives itself. What a skunk wants to do is to keep snug under the barn in daytime, when men are around with shotguns.

Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) American lawyer, politician, US President (1861-65)
Interview (1859-09-17?) with David R. Locke, Columbus, Ohio
(Source)

After his speech in Columbus (1859-09-16), discussing the effect of drawing attention to the problem of slavery through his speech-making. Recounted by Locke in A. T. Rice (ed.), Reminiscences of Abraham Lincoln by Distinguished Men of His Time, ch. 25 (1883).

WIST Quotations

Lincoln, Abraham -- Interview (1859-09-17?) with David R. Locke, Columbus, Ohio