There is another old poet whose name I do not now remember who said, 'Truth is the daughter of Time.'

When I lay down the reins of this administration, I want to have one friend left. And that friend is myself.

Peace will come soon to stay, and so come as to be worth keeping in all future time. It will then have proved that among free men there can be no successful appeal from the ballot to the bullet, and that they who take such appeal are sure their cases and pay the costs.

The purposes of the Almighty are perfect, and must prevail, though we erring mortals may fail to accurately perceive them in advance. We hoped for a happy termination of this terrible war long before this; but God knows best, and has ruled otherwise. We shall yet acknowledge His wisdom, and our own error therein. Meanwhile we must work earnestly in the best lights He gives us, trusting that so working still conduces to the great ends He ordains. Surely He intends some great good to follow this mighty convulsion, which no mortal could make, and no mortal could stay.

I am not in favor of making voters or jurors of Negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office.

Those who look for the bad in people will surely find it.

Writing is the great invention of the world.