I would like to locate a good solid source for the quote below. I would love to know the date, speech, article, or letter where this is found.
Thanks,
GP ********************************************************* But, when asked if he would let the South go in peace, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln exclaimed, “Let the South go? Let the South go! Where then shall we get our revenues?!”
I would suggest asking Dr. Thomas DiLorenzo who has written several books on Lincoln. At least Dr. DiLorenzo should be able to tell you if it is a real quote or an "urban legend". ([email protected])
On another board we have determined it could be from newspaper articles of the day and may not be an exact quote. Will post some of those replies later.
Don't forget, it's DR. DiLorenzo. Always wise to be accurate especially if you're asking for a favor.
Even if it is not a direct quote, it may be a paraphrase of something Lincoln said and later reported upon by whomever or reported in a newspaper. Aside from transcribed speeches to which no one can object, just about everything else someone says in private conversation (we're not talking about letters here) can be considered "suspect" if the person doesn't like what is being said.
George, I have tried unsuccessfully for years to find a viable source for this. As you recall many of us on History Sites attempted the same a few years ago with the same results. Every lead most of us ever found went back to a newspaper quote, even a few sources said he said it during a private meeting. Others said he was mis quoted, while others said the source that reported it "somewhere" was Anti Lincoln thus "tainted". I would love to track this down, in fact now that I think of it Dave or someone even contacted Di Lorenzo who wrote back saying it could not be verified....mmm let's see what we find. Maybe powers to be do not want us to know. It's like how they do their dandiest to cover down Lincoln's quote about freed Blacks never being able to assimilate in a civilized society, thus he and his SECNAV plans to re-colonize them out of the USA
