All quotes

Such is man, and so must he be understood by those who would lead him, even to his own best interests.

Let no man despise your youth; but be an example to those who believe, in word, in your way of life, in love, in spirit, in faith, and in purity.

Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.

War is the province of danger, and therefore courage above all things is the first quality of a warrior.

There are some men who will do more than their share of work and who will attempt more than they are physically able to accomplish.

Nearly all of us recognize that as intricacies of human relationships increase, so power to govern them also must increase--power to stop evil; power to do good.

One must subject oneself to one's own tests that one is destined for independence and command, and do so at the right time.

The spirit of encroachment tends to consolidate the powers of all the departments in one, and thus to create, whatever the form of government, a real despotism.

Responsibility is null when nobody knows who is responsible; nor, even when real, can it be divided without being weakened.

Surely the United States Senate is big enough to take self-criticism and self-appraisal.

All the lessons of history and experience must be lost upon us if we are content to trust alone to the peculiar advantages we happen to possess.

With tireless energy and eager zeal, colored women have, since their emancipation, been continuously prosecuting the work of educating and elevating their race, as though upon themselves alone devolved the accomplishment of this great task.

A wise man ought always to follow the paths beaten by great men, and to imitate those who have been supreme, so that if his ability does not equal theirs, at least it will savour of it.

Therefore it must be inferred that good counsels, whencesoever they come, are born of the wisdom of the prince, and not the wisdom of the prince from good counsels.

there is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things, because the innovator has for enemies all those who have done well under the old conditions, and lukewarm defenders in those who may do well under the new

Can he, then, be trusted with the government of others? Or have we found angels in the forms of kings to govern him?

I would have given anything then to have been back in Illinois, but I had not the moral courage to halt and consider what to do; I kept right on.

If you want to change the world, find someone to help you paddle.

With such aids and an honest purpose to do whatever is right, I hope to execute diligently, impartially, and for the best interests of the country the manifold duties devolved upon me.

If you would win a man to your cause, first convince him that you are his sincere friend.

His duty is to administer the present Government as it came to his hands and to transmit it unimpaired by him to his successor.

The leading rule for a lawyer, as for the man of every other calling, is diligence.

Our cause, then, must be intrusted to, and conducted by, its own undoubted friends--those whose hands are free, whose hearts are in the work, who do care for the result.

Energy in the Executive is a leading character in the definition of good government.

In administering the laws of Congress I shall keep steadily in view the limitations as well as the extent of the Executive power trusting thereby to discharge the functions of my office without transcending its authority.