Politics, like religion, hold up the torches of martyrdom to the reformers of error.

The most successful war seldom pays for its losses.

The second office in the government is honorable and easy; the first is but a splendid misery.

I think we have more machinery of government than is necessary, too many parasites living on the labor of the industrious.

There is not a single crowned head in Europe whose talents or merit would entitle him to be elected a vestryman by the people of any parish in America.

The issue for patents for new discovers has given a spring to invention beyond my conception.

A truth now and then projecting into the ocean of newspaper lies serves like headlands to correct our course. Indeed, my scepticism as to everything I see in a newspaper makes me indifferent whether I ever see one.