Where is this line in the Gettysburg Address from?

Question

In Lincoln's Gettysburd Address he says "government of the people, by the people, for the people". What document did Lincoln get this statement from. Please cite a source if possible.

Answer 1

The general idea expressed in this triad was, no doubt, articulated by other prominent speakers of that era, including Daniel Webster.

But it is almost certain that Lincoln's own formulation was shaped by that of churchman and and social reformer Theodore Parker. During the 1850s Parker used related expressions a number of times in his sermons and speeches. Lincoln was exposed to these through the influence of his abolitionist law partner, William H Herndon, who corresponded with Parker.

In fact, it is Herndon who, as an early Lincoln biographer, pointed out the specific quote of Parker's that seems to be behind the Gettysburg Address formula. Herndon tells of his giving Lincoln a copy of Parker's sermon "The Effect of Slavery on the American People" (delivered July 4, 1858 at the Music Hall in Boston... sometimes called "the Music Hall Sermon"). and notes that Lincoln especially liked and marked the expression: 'Democracy is direct self-government, over all the people, for all the people, by all the people'"

Here is a link to the full text of that sermon
http://antislavery.eserver.org/religious/parkereffectofslavery/parkereffectofslavery.doc

Ane here (from page 5) is the quote with a bit more context:

"Theocracy, the priest power, monarchy, the one-man power, and oligarchy, the few-men power, are three forms of vicarious government over the People, perhaps for them, not by them. Democracy is Direct Self-government, over all the people, for all the people, by all the people. . Our institutions are democratic: theocratic, monarchic, oligarchic vicariousness is all gone."

Now clearly Lincoln's argument varied slightly, for he speaks of the government being "OF the people" -- expressing the common sentiment of the era (indeed expressed in the Declaration of Independence and before), that government is derived from the consent of the governed.


For more on this and other distinctive language in the Gettysburg Address, see:
http://content.cdlib.org/xtf/view?docId=ft538nb2zt&chunk.id=d0e636&doc.view=print

Answer 2

At the most indirectly influenced by other speeches, not a quote.

"Craig R. Smith, in "Criticism of Political Rhetoric and Disciplinary Integrity", also suggested the influence of Webster's famous speeches on the view of government expressed by Lincoln in the Gettysburg Address, specifically, Webster's "Second Reply to Hayne", in which he states, "This government, Sir, is the independent offspring of the popular will. It is not the creature of State legislatures; nay, more, if the whole truth must be told, the people brought it into existence, established it, and have hitherto supported it, for the very purpose, amongst others, of imposing certain salutary restraints on State sovereignties." "

"Gettysburg Address : Lincoln's sources" : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gettysburg_Address#Lincoln.27s_sources

"If the government of the United States be the agent of the State governments, then they may control it, provided they can agree in the manner of controlling it; if it be the agent of the people, then the people alone can control it, restrain it, modify, or reform it."

"The Second Reply to Hayne", Daniel Webster : http://www.dartmouth.edu/~dwebster/speeches/hayne-speech.html

Answer 3

Maybe either the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, or the Declaration of Independence?

Answer 4

"...government of the people, by the people, and for the people, should not perish from the earth..."

Some source may have inspired Lincoln, but I can't find it.

Answer 5

It was his own statement. That means, he didn't quote anyone, he made it up.