No person was ever honored for what he received. Honor has been the reward for what he gave.

Never go out to meet trouble. If you just sit still, nine cases out of ten, someone will intercept it before it reaches you.

It is all the more necessary under a system of free government that the people should be enlightened, that they should be correctly informed, than it is under an absolute government that they should be ignorant. Under a republic the institutions of learning, while bound by the constitution and laws, are in no way subservient to the government.

Surprisingly few men are lacking in capacity, but they fail because... they are too indolent to apply themselves with the seriousness and the attention that is necessary to solve important problems.

America... Cherishes no purpose save to merit the favor of Almighty God.

In life there is nothing more common than talent and intelligence. What is missing is passion, persistence, commitment, and dedication.

If American democracy is to remain the greatest hope of humanity, it must continue abundantly in the faith of the Bible