In July of 1858, Abraham Lincoln was giving a lengthy, anti-slavery speech in Chicago and one of the arguments he presented was that the actions of the framers of the Constitution demonstrated their intentions to phase-out slavery:
The adoption of the Constitution and its attendant history led the people to believe so; and that such was the belief of the framers of the Constitution itself. Why did those old men, about the time of the adoption of the Constitution, decree that Slavery should not go into the new territory, where it had not already gone? Why declare that within twenty years the African Slave Trade, by which slaves are supplied, might be cut off by Congress? Why were all these acts? I might enumerate more of these acts—but enough. What were they but a clear indication that the framers of the Constitution intended and expected the ultimate extinction of that institution. [Cheers.] And now, when I say, as I said in my speech that Judge Douglas has quoted from, when I say that I think the opponents of slavery will resist the farther spread of it, and place it where the public mind shall rest with the belief that it is in course of ultimate extinction, I only mean to say, that they will place it where the founders of this Government originally placed it.
Then, later Lincoln re-affirms this point, stating, "let us then turn this government back into the channel in which the framers of the Constitution originally placed it":
My friend has said to me that I am a poor hand to quote Scripture. I will try it again, however. It is said in one of the admonitions of the Lord, “As your Father in Heaven is perfect, be ye also perfect.” The Savior, I suppose, did not expect that any human creature could be perfect as the Father in Heaven; but He said, “As your Father in Heaven is perfect, be ye also perfect.” He set that up as a standard, and he who did most towards reaching that standard, attained the highest degree of moral perfection. So I say in relation to the principle that all men are created equal, let it be as nearly reached as we can. If we cannot give freedom to every creature, let us do nothing that will impose slavery upon any other creature. [Applause.] Let us then turn this government back into the channel in which the framers of the Constitution originally placed it. Let us stand firmly by each other. If we do not do so we are turning in the contrary direction, that our friend Judge Douglas proposes—not intentionally—as working in the traces tend to make this one universal slave nation. [A voice—"that is so."] He is one that runs in that direction, and as such I resist him.
Now, let's fast forward 157 years into the future, to present day: U.S. Senator Ron Johnson just took the "let us then turn this government back in the channel in which the framers of the Constitution originally placed it" line out of the speech and posted it on his facebook page to recognize Lincoln's birthday.
Considering that Johnson is a vehement pro-states guy and opposes the Federal government enforcing Constitutionally-guaranteed rights and liberties onto the states in areas like abortion and gay marriage, I'm pretty sure he didn't mean to post a Lincoln quote that is calling for the Federal goverment to enforce the Constitution on the states. Obviously, Johnson or one his goons noticed that it was Lincoln's birthday and tried to find the most conservative Lincoln quote they could and thought the one above sounded perfect.
Instead, they posted a progressive line from a progressive speech from one of the great progressives in our nation's history.
