When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.

No man has greater confidence than I have in the spirit of the people, to a rational extent. Whatever they can, they will.

Creeds have been the bane of the Christian church ... made of Christendom a slaughter-house.

Religion is a subject on which I have ever been most scrupulously reserved. I have considered it as a matter between every man and his Maker, in which no other, and far less the public, had a right to intermeddle.

Conquest is not in our principles. It is inconsistent with our government.

We are firmly convinced, and we act on that conviction, that with nations as with individuals our interests soundly calculated will ever be found inseparable from our moral duties, and history bears witness to the fact that a just nation is trusted on its word when recourse is had to armaments and wars to bridle others.

One insult pocketed soon produces another.