"As the patriots of seventy-six did to the support of the Declaration of Independence, so to the support of the Constitution and Laws, let every American pledge his life, his property, and his sacred honor - let every man remember that to violate the law, is to trample on the blood of his father, and to tear the character of his own, and his children's liberty. 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 (the quote is from his address to the Springfield Lyceum, January 27, 1838) quote version is from Pozgar. 

This is a powerful quote from Abraham Lincoln, who was a well-respected lawyer before becoming President. This quote is from a speech that he gave to the Springfield Lyceum (lyceums were local groups focused on public debate and lectures). What is ur reaction to the quote? What does it mean to "pledge" ourselves and to "sacrifice unceasingly" to the rule of law? Should Lincoln's idea of reverence for the law still be promoted today? Why

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Abraham Lincolns quote emphasizes the importance of reverence for the law and the collective respons... View the full answer