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.

No man is good enough to govern another man without the other's consent.

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

We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution.

Let there be no compromise on the question of extending slavery. If there be, all our labor is lost, and, ere long, must be done again.

Shall we stop this bleeding?

I am now the most miserable man living. If what I feel equally distributed to the whole human family, there would not be one cheerful face on the earth. Whether I shall ever be better, I cannot tell; I awfully forebode I shall not. To remain as I am is impossible. I must die or be better, it appears to me.