Quote by Abraham Lincoln
Allow the President to invade a neighboring nation, whenever he shall deem it necessary to repel an invasion and you allow him to do so whenever he may choose to say he deems it necessary for such purpose -- and you allow him to make war at pleasure. . . . If, today, he should choose to say he thinks it necessary to invade Canada to prevent the British from invading us, how could you stop him? You may say to him, 'I see no probability of the British invading us'; but he will say to you, 'Be silent; I see it, if you don't.
Summary
This quote highlights the dangers of granting unlimited power to the President in terms of declaring war and invading other nations. It argues that if the President is allowed to invade a neighboring country whenever he deems it necessary to defend against an invasion, then he essentially has unrestricted power to wage war whenever he desires. The quote poses the question of how one could stop the President if he decides to invade a country, even if there is no real threat or probability of an invasion. It emphasizes the potential for abuse of power and the importance of checks and balances in preventing unwarranted military actions.
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