Abraham Lincoln, Lyceum Address, Quotes

A collection of quotes by Abraham Lincoln, Lyceum Address,.

Abraham Lincoln's Lyceum Address is a speech he delivered on January 27, 1838, in Springfield, Illinois. Lincoln was a lawyer and a rising political figure at the time, and the address was one of his earliest public speeches that gained attention.

In his speech, Lincoln reflected upon the challenges facing the young American republic and the potential risks of lawlessness and mob violence. He emphasized the importance of institutions and the rule of law in maintaining a stable society. Lincoln expressed his concern that the nation was gradually eroding the reverence for laws and the Constitution, stating that the real threat to America's future integrity would come from within.

During his address, Lincoln called for the preservation of the Union and the defense of individual liberties through adherence to the principles of the Constitution. He urged young Americans to embrace education, cultivate moral character, and develop a sense of responsibility towards sustaining the institutions that safeguarded freedom and justice in the nation.

The Lyceum Address marked an early moment in Lincoln's career where he displayed his profound understanding of the American political system and his commitment to preserving the Union. It became an important element in establishing Lincoln's reputation as a skilled orator and political thinker, foreshadowing his future role as the 16th President of the United States during one of the most challenging periods in American history.

Let reverence for the laws, be breathed by every American mother, to the lisping babe, that prattles on her lap -- let it be taught in schools, in seminaries, and in colleges; let it be written in Primers, spelling books, and in Almanacs; -- let it be preached from the pulpit, proclaimed in legislative halls, and enforced in courts of justice. And, in short, let it become the political religion of the nation; and let the old and the young, the rich and the poor, the grave and the gay, of all sexes and tongues, and colors and conditions, sacrifice unceasingly upon its altars.

Abraham Lincoln, Lyceum Address,

Reverence