A poem, a sentence, causes us to see ourselves. I be, and I see my being, at the same time.

We are ashamed of our thoughts and often see them brought forth by others.

There are twenty ways of going to a point, and one is the shortest; but set out at once on one. A man who has that presence of mind which can bring to him on the instant all he knows, is worth for action a dozen men who know as much, but can only bring it to light slowly.

A state of war or anarchy, in which law has little force, is so far valuable, that it puts every man on trial. The man of principle is known as such, and even in the fury of faction is respected.

Mankind divides itself into two classes,--benefactors and malefactors. The second class is vast; the first a handful.

The real and lasting victories are those of peace, and not of war.

Don't trust children with edge tools. Don't trust man, great God, with more power than he has until he has learned to use that little better. What a hell we should make of the world if we could do what we would!