The time has come for all good men to rise above principle.

Meaning of the quote

This quote suggests that sometimes it's necessary to go beyond strict rules or beliefs in order to do what's best. The speaker is saying that good people should be willing to make tough choices that might go against their usual principles if the situation calls for it. The idea is that doing the right thing is more important than blindly following a set of rules or ideals. In other words, being ethical and making moral decisions is more important than just sticking to a particular principle or standard.