Government is at best but an expedient; but most governments are usually, and all governments are sometimes, inexpedient.

Don't spend your time in drilling soldiers, who may turn out hirelings after all, but give to undrilled peasantry a country to fight for.

I have a great deal of company in my house; especially in the morning, when nobody calls.

The ocean is a wilderness reaching round the globe, wilder than a Bengal jungle, and fuller of monsters, washing the very wharves of our cities and the gardens of our sea-side residences.

Sincerity is a great but rare virtue, and we pardon to it much complaining, and the betrayal of many weaknesses.

I believe that it is in my power to elevate myself this very hour above the common level of my life.

The humblest observer who goes to the mines sees and says that gold-digging is of the character of a lottery; the gold thus obtained is not the same thing with the wages of honest toil. But, practically, he forgets what he has seen, for he has seen only the fact, not the principle, and goes into trade there, that is, buys a ticket in what commonly proves another lottery, where the fact is not so obvious.