I am not a Know-Nothing. That is certain. How could I be? How can anyone who abhors the oppression of negroes, be in favor of degrading classes of white people? Our progress in degeneracy appears to me to be pretty rapid. As a nation, we began by declaring that 'all men are created equal.' We now practically read it 'all men are created equal, except negroes.' When the Know-Nothings get control, it will read 'all men are created equal, except negroes, and foreigners, and catholics.' When it comes to this I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretence of loving liberty—to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure, and without the base alloy of hypocracy.

Patriarch of Judaism, Christianity, Islam

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Details

Context

Letter to Joshua F. Speed

Date / Period

1855

Source

https://quod.lib.umich.edu/l/lincoln/lincoln2/1:261?rgn=div1;view=fulltext

Verification

Unverifiable

Explanation

Found in 1 providers: deepseek

Method

Cross Reference

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