Lincoln on Democracy

"THIS EXPRESSES MyIDEA OF DEMOCRACY"

Lincoln and the House Divided, 1858 "THIS EXPRESSES My IDEA OF DEMOCRACY" Definition of Democracy [AUGUST I, 1858?] 121 No one knows for certain when this undated fragment was written. Roy P. Basler, editor of Lincoln's Collected Works, assigned it the date of August 1, 1858, by "pure conjecture,"and no one has offereda convincing alternative since. Years later, Mary Lincoln gave the handwritten piece to a woman who had campaigned for the former First Lady's release from an insane asylum. As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy. Whatever differs from this, to the extent of the difference, is no democracy. "RETURN TO THE FOUNTAIN" From a Speech at Lewistown, Illinois [AUGUST 17, 18 58] Six thousand spectators jammed the Lewistown public square to hear Lincoln "quietly, coolly, but boldly and manfully discharging his arguments " in this speech, reported the Illinois State Journal. The imperfect text from which this excerpt is taken was transcribed by a newspaper reporter on the scene. The Declaration of Independence (said Mr. L.) was formed by the representatives of American liberty from thirteen States of the confed- ...