I have not permitted myself, gentlemen, to conclude that I am the best man in the country; but I am reminded, in this connection, of a story of an old Dutch farmer, who remarked to a companion once that "it was not best to swap horses when crossing streams."

Lincoln used this homely proverb during the 1864 presidential campaign, when he was seeking reelection in the midst of the Civil War. Critics questioned his leadership and urged replacing him, but Lincoln argued that changing commanders-in-chief and national policy mid-crisis would be reckless. By framing his case with a folksy anecdote—“not best to swap horses when crossing streams”—he cast continuity as common sense rather than personal ambition, while also disarming the charge of self-importance (“I have not permitted myself…to conclude that I am the best man in the country”). The line circulated widely as a campaign argument for stability until the war’s end.

The remark balances humility with a pragmatic appeal. Lincoln concedes he may not be “the best man,” but insists that the nation’s immediate need is steadiness: in a dangerous crossing, the risk lies not in the horse’s imperfections but in the disruption of switching mounts midstream. The “stream” is the Civil War; the “swap” is replacing leadership and, by implication, altering war aims and emancipation policy. The anecdote also exemplifies Lincoln’s rhetorical method—translating high-stakes constitutional and military questions into everyday experience—so that political judgment feels like practical wisdom rather than partisan theory.

1) “It is not best to swap horses while crossing a stream.”
2) “Don’t swap horses in the middle of the stream.”
3) “Not best to change horses while crossing the river.”