The merely political aspect of the land is never very cheering; men are degraded when considered as the members of a political organization.

Where there is not discernment, the behavior even of the purest soul may in effect amount to coarseness.

The New Testament is an invaluable book, though I confess to having been slightly prejudiced against it in my very early days by the church and the Sabbath school, so that it seemed, before I read it, to be the yellowest book in the catalogue. Yet I early escaped from their meshes. It was hard to get the commentaries out of one's head and taste its true flavor. [...] It would be a poor story to be prejudiced against the Life of Christ because the book has been edited by Christians.

For one that comes with a pencil to sketch or sing, a thousand come with an axe or rifle. What a coarse and imperfect use Indiansand hunters make of nature! No wonder that their race is so soon exterminated.

The world rests on principles.

Even the best things are not equal to their fame.

A man cannot be said to succeed in this life who does not satisfy one friend.