Skepticism . . . is not intellectual only it is moral also, a chronic atrophy and disease of the whole soul.

It is not to taste sweet things; but to do noble and true things, and vindicate himself under God's heaven as a God-made man, that the poorest son of Adam dimly longs. Show him the way of doing that, the dullest day-drudge kindles into a hero. They wrong man greatly who say he is to be seduced by ease. Difficulty, abnegation, martyrdom, death, are the allurements that act on the heart of man. Kindle the inner genial life of him, you have a flame that burns up all lower considerations.

Time is the silent, never-resting thing ... rolling, rushing on, swift, silent, like an all-embracing oceantide, on which we and all the universe swim.

Might and right do differ frightfully from hour to hour, but then centuries to try it in, they are found to be identical.

Every man is my superior in that I may learn from him.

Democracy means despair of finding any heroes to govern you, and contented putting up with the want of them.

The spiritual is the parent of the practical.