Men have their virtues and their vices, their heroisms and their perversities; men are neither wholly good nor wholly bad, but possess and practice all that there is of good and bad here below. Such is the general rule. Temperament, education, the accidents of life, are modifying factors. Outside of this, everything is ordered arrangement, everything is chance. Such has been my rule of expectation and it has usually brought me success.

My success and everything good that I have done, I owe to my mother.

Treaties are observed as long as they are in harmony with interests.

The best way to make every one poor is to insist on equality of wealth.

An army marches on its stomach.

In war, character and opinion make more than half of the reality.

Man loves the marvelous. It has an irresistible charm for him. He is always ready to leave that with which he is familiar to pursue vain inventions. He lends himself to his own deception.