Experience must be our only guide. Reason may mislead us.

Most men with nothing would rather protect the possibility of becoming rich than face the reality of being poor.

Honor, justice, and humanity, call upon us to hold, and to transmit to our posterity, that liberty which we received from our ancestors. It is not our duty to leave wealth to our children, but it is our duty to leave liberty to them.

With hearts fortified with these animating reflections, we most solemnly, before God and the world, declare, that, exerting the utmost energy of those powers, which our beneficent Creator hath graciously bestowed upon us, the arms we have compelled by our enemies to assume, we will, in defiance of every hazard, with unabating firmness and perseverance employ for the preservation of our liberties; being with one mind resolved to die freemen rather than to live as slaves.

Let us take care of our rights and we therein take care of our prosperity. Slavery is ever preceded by sleep

Our cause is just. Our union is perfect.

If the General Government should be left dependent on the State Legislatures, it would be happy for us if we had never met in this room.