"This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it. Whenever they shall grow weary of the existing Government, they can exercise their constitutional right of amending it or their revolutionary right to dismember or overthrow it. I cannot be ignorant of the fact that many worthy and patriotic citizens are desirous of having the National Constitution amended. While I make no recommendation of amendments, I fully recognize the rightful authority of the people over the whole subject, to be exercised in either of the modes prescribed in the instrument itself; and I should, under existing circumstances, favor rather than oppose a fair opportunity being afforded the people to act upon it. I will venture to add that to me the convention mode seems preferable, in that it allows amendments to originate with the people themselves, instead of only permitting them to take or reject propositions originated by others not especially chosen for the purpose, and which might not be precisely such as they would wish to either accept or refuse."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Abraham Lincoln, First Inaugural Address (4 March 1861)
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/United_States_Constitution
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
United States Constitution
146 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by United States Constitution →
Related Quotes
"The words of the Constitution ... are so unrestricted by their intrinsic meaning or by their history or by tradition …"
"As the British Constitution is the most subtile organism which has proceeded from the womb and the long gestation of …"
"When this nation was in trouble, in its early struggles, it looked upon the Negro as a citizen. In 1776 he was a citi…"
"The Constitution was born in compromise and survived a civil war when compromise broke down only by radically changin…"
"During the war of the Revolution, and in 1788, the date of the adoption of our national Constitution, there was but o…"
"The will of the nation, speaking with the voice of battle and through the amended Constitution, has fulfilled the gre…"
"I always defended the Constitution, because it was for liberty. It was ordained by the people of the United States. N…"
"I love the Constitution. It is enshrined in my heart. I love it better than any dozen Democrats in the land do tonight."
"[T]he Constitution of the United States knows no distinction between citizens on account of color."
"[U]nder the Constitution in its most liberal interpretation, and admitting our cherished American doctrine of equal h…"