Woe unto the world because of offenses; for it must needs be that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh.

There is no greater injustice than to wring your profits from the sweat of another man's brow.

The best way to get a bad law repealed is to enforce it strictly.

I take it that it is best for all to leave each man free to acquire property as fast as he can. Some will get wealthy. I dont believe in a law to prevent a man from getting rich; it would do more harm than good.

I am a little uneasy about the abolishment of slavery in this District of Columbia.

When I so pressingly urge a strict observance of all the laws, let me not be understood as saying there are no bad laws, nor that grievances may not arise, for the redress of which, no legal provisions have been made. I mean to say no such thing. But I do mean to say, that, although bad laws, if they exist, should be repealed as soon as possible, still while they continue in force, for the sake of example, they should be religiously observed.

I am slow to learn and slow to forget that which I have learned. My mind is like a piece of steel, very hard to scratch any thing on it and almost impossible after you get it there to rub it out.