Quote#Politics & Power
[O]ur constitutions of government have declared that all men are born…
Quote byJoseph Story · 1779–1845
Commonly attributed — not confirmed in an authoritative edition. Cited on Wikiquote to: In 1819, as quoted in Fateful Lightning: A New History of the Civil War and Reconstruction (2012), by Allen C. Guelzo, Chapter One.
English (original)
[O]ur constitutions of government have declared that all men are born free and equal, and have certain inalienable rights, among which are the right of enjoying their lives, liberties, and property, and of seeking and obtaining their own safety and happiness. May not the miserable African ask, "Am I not a man and a brother?"
— Joseph Story
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