The greatest lessons I have every learned were at my mother's knees... All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.

I am absent altogether too much to be a suitable instructor for a law-student. When a man has reached the age that Mr. Widner has,and has already been doing for himself, my judgment is, that he reads the books for himself without an instructor. That is precisely the way I came to the law.

The sense of obligation to continue is present in all of us. A duty to strive is the duty of us all. I felt a call to that duty.

I can make more generals, but horses cost money.

My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union.

Both parties deprecated war; but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive; and the other would accept war rather than let it perish. And the war came.

None seemed to think the injury arose from the use of a bad thing but from the abuse of a very good thing