"The Perpetuation of Our Political Institutions"

In one of his earliest speeches, Lincoln praised the founding fathers and warned of the potential rise of tyrants in the United States.

"It sees no distinction in adding story to story upon the monuments of fame erected to the memory of others. . . . It scorns to tread in the footsteps of any predecessor, however illustrious. . . . And when such an one does, it will require the people to be united with each other, attached to the government and laws, and generally intelligent, to successfully frustrate his designs. Distinction will be his paramount object, and although he would as willingly, perhaps more so, acquire it by doing good as harm, yet, that opportunity being past, and nothing left to be done in the way of building up, he would set boldly to the task of pulling down."