Abraham Lincoln Public Quotations

Public opinion, though often formed upon a wrong basis, yet generally has a strong underlying sense of justice.

Our government rests in public opinion. Whoever can change public opinion, can change the government, practically just so much.

Honest statesmanship is the wise employment of individual manners for the public good

No policy that does not rest upon some philosophical public opinion can be permanently maintained.

A universal feeling, whether well or ill founded, cannot be safely disregarded.

Public sentiment is everything. With public sentiment nothing can fail; without it nothing can succeed. He who molds public sentiment goes deeper than he who enacts statutes or decisions possible or impossible to execute.

No law is stronger than is the public sentiment where it is to be enforced.

I perhaps ought to say that individually I never was much interested in the Texas question. I never could see much good to come of annexation, inasmuch as they were already a free republican people on our own model.

Either the opponents of slavery will arrest the further spread of it and place it where the public mind shall rest in the belief that it is in course of ultimate extinction, or its advocates will push it forward, till it shall become alike lawful in all the States - old as well as new - North as well as South.

The United States government must not undertake to run the Churches. When an individual, in the Church or out of it, becomes dangerous to the public interest he must be checked.

With public sentiment, nothing can fail. Without it, nothing can succeed.