Abe Lincoln feared crisis "where corporations enthroned, wealth concentrate...

[NAO]

On Nov. 21, 1864 President Abraham Lincoln wrote a letter to Colonel William F. Elkins. He said,

"I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. As a result of the war, corporations have been enthroned, and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed."

Now that's a fairly accurate description of what has happened now that "the Party of Lincoln" has seized power of the Executive and Legislative. Further, it is even accurate in predicting HOW they will seize power.



Here is the same quote, broken apart for emphasis of each point:

- I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country

- As a result of the war (Halliburton, no-bid contracts, war profiteering)

- corporations have been enthroned (they sure have)

- an era of corruption in high places will follow (yes, that has happened)

- the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign (the deregulation, privatization, and rolling back of the New Deal reforms)

- by working upon the prejudices of the people (can you say 'culture wars'? how about 'welfare queens'?)

- until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands (the rapidly increasing inequality and upward flow of money since 1980)

- and the Republic is destroyed. (If we are not there already, we are very close.)



and, finally the original quote because it is worth reading again:

"I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. As a result of the war, corporations have been enthroned, and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed."

[TreasonousBastard]

1. Alas, this quote is bogus...

Lincoln never said any such thing.

http://www.snopes.com/quotes/lincoln.htm

Don't be embarrassed, though, it came up recently on a refrence librarian's list, and a lot of people thought it was real until they looked into it. Lincoln is one of the most widely misquoted figures in history.

Eisenhower, on the other hand, did warn us quite vividly about the military-industrial complex but no one wants to bring him up.

A "good Republican" and the guy who kicked Hitler's ass and settled the Korea mess warns us about militarism-- no wonder the neocons and warmongers want us to forget he was President.

[NAO]

4. It was quoted in a book from 2003, cited footnote by historian Wasserman

I saw it quoted in William Boyer's excellent book "Myth America: Democracy vs. Capitalism". He cites Wasserman, "Harvey Wasserman's History Of The United States" (1983) pp 89-90 as the source.

Boyer's book was very highly praised by Howard Zinn, Jim Hightower, and Michael Parenti. How embarrassing for an author to quote a bogus source and not have your editors catch it.

Thanks for correcting me on this point.

[TreasonousBastard]

5. Well, if THOSE guys were bamboozled by this..

you have nothing to apologize for.

[IChing]

2. sorry but it has been proven false

I liked the quote and used it, until someone gave me the historical research
that it was not said by him. Did my own independent research also and its true he did not write that letter.

sorry, still a great line

[Stand and Fight]

3. Not a Lincoln quote. Great one. NOT Lincoln though. n/t