The quote database

Resolve to be honest at all events; and if in your own judgment you cannot be an honest lawyer, resolve to be honest without being a lawyer.

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

Slavery is founded in the selfishness of man's nature,--opposition to it in his love of justice.

This declared indifference, but, as I must think, real, covert zeal, for the spread of slavery, I cannot but hate.

When the white man governs himself, that is self-government; but when he governs himself and also governs another man, that is more than self-government,--that is despotism.

What I do say is that no man is good enough to govern another man without that other's consent.

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.

Neither let us be slandered from our duty by false accusations against us, nor frightened from it by menaces of destruction to the government, nor of dungeons to ourselves.

If our sense of duty forbids this, then let us stand by our duty fearlessly and effectively.

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

If the minority will not acquiesce, the majority must, or the Government must cease.

This country, with its institutions, belongs to the people who inhabit it.

that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth

With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in

You may fool all the people some of the time, you can even fool some of the people all the time, but you can't fool all of the people all the time

The engine can arrange and combine its numerical quantities exactly as if they were letters or any other general symbols; and in fact it might bring out its results in algebraical notation, were provisions made accordingly.

The Analytical Engine has no pretensions whatever to originate any thing. It can do whatever we know how to order it to perform.

Every evening he should examine his heart as to what he has done to see whether he has gained or lost in his spiritual capital.

The aim of moral discipline is to purify the heart from the rust of passion and resentment, till, like a clear mirror, it reflects the light of God.

The soul should take care of the body, just as a pilgrim on his way to Mecca takes care of his camel.

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

the liberty of association is become a necessary guarantee against the tyranny of the majority

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.

Considering standing armies as dangerous to free governments in time of peace, I shall not seek to enlarge our present establishment, nor disregard that salutary lesson of political experience which teaches that the military should be held subordinate to the civil power.

The wisdom of man never yet contrived a system of taxation that would operate with perfect equality.