During the whole time I sat with him in Congress, I never heard him utter three sentences together.

Have you considered that system of holy lies and pious frauds that has raged and triumphed for 1,500 years?

The only thing most people do better than anyone else is read their own handwriting.

The Europeans are all deeply tainted with prejudices, both ecclesiastical and temporal, which they can never get rid of. They are all infected with episcopal and presbyterian creeds, and confessions of faith. They all believe that great Principle which has produced this boundless universe, Newton's universe and Herschell's universe, came down to this little ball, to be spit upon by Jews. And until this awful blasphemy is got rid of, there never will be any liberal science in the world.

Our whole system of banks is a violation of every honest principle of banks. There is no honest bank but a bank of deposit. A bank that issues paper at interest is a pickpocket or a robber. But the delusion will have its course. ... An aristocracy is growing out of them that will be as fatal as the feudal barons if unchecked in time.

Great is the guilt of an unnecessary war.

The fundamental law of the militia is, that it be created, directed and commanded by the laws, and ever for the support of the laws.