A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolvedI do not expect the house to fallbut I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing, or all the other.

Summary

In this quote, Abraham Lincoln highlights the danger of a nation divided on the issue of slavery. He argues that a government cannot thrive if it maintains contradictory moral foundations – being half committed to the freedom of individuals and half endorsing the enslavement of others. Lincoln firmly expresses his belief that the Union will not dissolve nor collapse, but he anticipates that the division will eventually be resolved. He predicts that the country will either wholly embrace the principles of slavery or fully embrace freedom, emphasizing the need for a unified stance on such a significant issue.