The quote database

Everything is very simple in War, but the simplest thing is difficult.

War is the province of uncertainty: three-fourths of those things upon which action in War must be calculated, are hidden more or less in the clouds of great uncertainty.

These difficulties accumulate and produce a friction which no man can imagine exactly who has not seen War

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

The progress of society rests upon the increasing collectivity of human labor.

For the fourth time the officer elected by the people and ordained by the Constitution to fill a vacancy so created is called to assume the Executive chair.

The Constitution defines the functions and powers of the executive as clearly as those of either of the other two departments of the Government, and he must answer for the just exercise of the discretion it permits and the performance of the duties it imposes.

as it must be the supreme purpose of all free men, so it must be the dedication of their leaders, to save humanity from preying upon itself

It decrees that we, the people, elect leaders not to rule but to serve.

In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex

Our answer is this: a denial of constitutionally protected rights demands judicial protection; our oath and our office require no less of us.

Our attempts to banish this importunate duty will only make it return upon us again and again, and every time in a shape more unpleasant than the former.

Great events are usually preceded by apparently small things.

His cheery optimism never failed, even when food was very short and the prospect of relief seemed remote.

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.

The demons of depression could find no foothold when he was around

A grave responsibility confronts this Court whenever in course of litigation it must reconcile the conflicting claims of liberty and authority.

It is neither to do everything yourself nor to appoint a number of people to each duty, but to ensure that each does that duty to which he is appointed.

Let your doubt be to yourself, your decision to them.

Nevertheless the person in charge never seems to look the impossibility in the face.

the only thing we have to fear is fear itself

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.

Government is competent when all who compose it work as trustees for the whole people.

In the future days, which we seek to make secure, we look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms

Lives of nations are determined not by the count of years, but by the lifetime of the human spirit.