In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free.

A drop of honey catches more flies than a gallon of gall. So with men. If you would win a man to your cause, first convince him that you are his sincere friend. Therein is a drop of honey which catches his heart, which, say what he will, is the highroad to his reason.

Human nature will not change. In any future great national trial, compared with the men of this, we shall have as weak and as strong, as silly and as wise, as bad and as good. Let us therefore study the incidents in this as philosophy to learn wisdom from and none of them as wrongs to be avenged.

You know I dislike slavery; and you fully admit the abstract wrong of it.

One generation passeth away and another generation cometh, but the earth abideth forever.

I would rather be assassinated than see a single star removed from the American flag.

If you intend to go to work there is no better place than right where you are; if you do not intend to go to work, you can not get along anywhere.