Agitation is the marshalling of the conscience of a nation to mold its laws.

Of all the vulgar arts of government, that of solving every difficulty that might arise by thrusting the hand into the public purse is the most illusory and contemptible.

Public opinion is a compound of folly, weakness, prejudice, wrong feeling, right feeling, obstinacy, and newspaper paragraphs.

I have read all that has been written by the gravest authorities on political economy on the subject of rent, wages, taxes, tithes.

Much is said about English severity, but not a word about Irish provocation.

However much I have been blamed for not showing more deferences to a great party, and for not acting more steadily on party principles, all I have to regret is that I showed so much.

I never knew a man escape failures, in either mind or body, who worked seven days in a week.