Source identified
Read & copy the quotation
“Let reverence for the laws, be breathed by every American mother.”
- Source
- Lyceum Address
- Date
- 1838
Meaning of “Let reverence for the laws, be breathed by…”
Lincoln treats civic habits as something taught across generations, arguing that preservation of political institutions depends partly on learned respect for lawful processes.
Where does it come from?
Lyceum Address, January 27, 1838. This is a short clause from Lincoln’s extended call for reverence for law in homes, schools and public institutions, made in the immediate context of mob violence; it should not be read as a claim that every law is just.
