I'm writing a paper on the civil war and the emancipation
proclamation, and I've heard of a great quote that I could use. It was
by Abraham Lincoln, and it was to the general effect that the
Declaration of Indpependence was the "golden apple within the
Constitution's picture of silver."

I could really use this full, exact quote, and where it's from
in the body of Lincoln's numerous writings and speeches.

Dear maxunit4,

Abraham Lincoln's original quote is somewhat more complex and does not
refer directly to the Declaration of Independence as such, but rather
to the principle of "Liberty to all", of which the Declaration of
Independence is the expression.

To understand the (rather long) original quote correctly, it is
necessary to know it in its entirety:

"All this is not the result of accident. It has a philosophical cause.
Without the Constitution and the Union, we could not have attained the
result; but even these, are not the primary cause of our great
prosperity. There is something back of these, entwining itself more
closely about the human heart. That something, is the principle of
"Liberty to all"?the principle that clears the path for all?gives hope
to all?and, by consequence, enterprize, and industry to all.

The expression of that principle, in our Declaration of Independence,
was most happy, and fortunate. Without this, as well as with it, we
could have declared our independence of Great Britain; but without it,
we could not, I think, have secured our free government, and
consequent prosperity. No oppressed, people will fight, and endure, as
our fathers did, without the promise of something better, than a mere
change of masters.

The assertion of that principle, at that time, was the word, "fitly
spoken" which has proved an "apple of gold" to us. The Union, and the
Constitution, are the picture of silver, subsequently framed around
it. The picture was made, not to conceal, or destroy the apple; but to
adorn, and preserve it. The picture was made for the apple?not the
apple for the picture.

So let us act, that neither picture, or apple shall ever be blurred,
or bruised or broken.

That we may so act, we must study, and understand the points of danger."


This is the full text of the document from which the (usually heavily
altered) quote originates. It is known as the "Fragment on the
Constitution and the Union"; Lincoln wrote it in about January 1861.

You can read an online version here, at Ashland University's Ashbrook
Center for Public Affairs:
http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=29

In case you need a printed reference: The "Fragment on the
Constitution and the Union" has been published in: "Collected Works of
Abraham Lincoln", IV, p. 168-169 (Roy P. Basler ed., 1953).

Hope this answers your question!
Regards,
Scriptor



Sources:

Yale University: The Declaration and the Promise of a Democratic
Culture, by J. M. Balkin
http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/jbalkin/articles/declar1.htm

Teaching American History: Fragment on the Constitution and Union
http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=29

East Carolina University: The Constitution in the Public Imagination,
by Milton M. Klein
http://www.ecu.edu/history/brewster/bl87.htm

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