...law," he asserted, at the height of what must still be considered our greatest national emergency, "life and limb must be protected, yet often a limb...a life; but a life is never wisely given to save a limb."17 In assessing this philosophy, we should recognize the difficult choices which confronted the...

...reprinted in Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, v. 6, p. 267. Rutgers University Press ( 1953, 1990). By general law life and limb must be protected; yet...life; but a life is never wisely given to save a limb. Letter to Albert G. Hodges, April 4, 1864, reprinted in Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, v. 7, p....

...very well be that one institution is the more legitimate holder of the people's will and power — "often a limb must be amputated to save a life; but a life is never wisely given to save a limb."58 It was his belief that the oath he took to protect the Constitution, as he put it, "imposed...

...control. It proclaimed emancipation where there was no power to execute it. Lincoln himself admitted that "measures, otherwise unconstitutional might become lawful, by becoming indispensable to the preservation of nation." Lincoln said in a letter to Secretary Chase, September 2, l863, that the Proclamation...

...swearing to it. The witnesses may commit perjury, but the smoke cannot. War does not admit of holidays. By general law, life and limb must be protected, yet...life; but a life is never wisely given to save a limb. History is not history unless it is the truth. God selects His own instruments, and sometimes they...

...and Constitution all together." The "general law" called for the protection of "life and limb." So "often a limb must be amputated to save a life; but a life is never wisely given to save a limb."6 The meshing of liberty and Union provtded Lincoln's paramount aim in the war and afterward....

...it possible to lose the nation and yet preserve the Constitution [which is its organic law] ? . . . I felt that measures otherwise unconstitutional might become lawful by becoming indispensable to the preservation of the Constitution through the preservation of the nation.85 Historically considered,...

...life and that he had to preserve the nation and government that had the Constitution as organic law. "I felt that measures, otherwise unconstitutional,...might become lawful, by becoming indispensable to the preservation of the constitution, through the preservation of the nation," he said. Two weeks later...

...constitution was the organic law. Was it possible to lose the nation, and yet preserve the constitution? By general law life and limb must be protected; yet...otherwise unconstitutional, might become lawful, by being indispensable to the preservation of the constitution, through the preservation of the nation....

...passion tempered by logic. "Was it possible to lose the nation, and yet preserve the constitution? By general law life and limb must be protected; yet...often a limb must be amputated to save a life, but life is never wisely given to save a limb."4 Lincoln's rumination on the inscrutability of events,...