I certainly know that if the war fails, the administration fails, and that I will be blamed for it, whether I deserve it or not. And I ought to be blamed, if I could do better. You think I could do better; therefore you blame me already. I think I could not do better; therefore I blame you for blaming me.

The Bible says somewhere that we are desperately selfish. I think we would have discovered that fact without the Bible.

Without Divine assistance I can not succeed; with it I can not fail.

The Cause of civil liberty must not be surrendered at the end of one, or even one hundred defeats.

We think slavery a great moral wrong, and while we do not claim the right to touch it where it exists, we wish to treat it as a wrong in the territories, where our votes will reach it.

Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters.

A woman is the only thing I am afraid of that I know will not hurt me.