A constitutional statesman is in general a man of common opinions and uncommon abilities.

The best security for people's doing their duty is that they should not know anything else to do.

We see but one aspect of our neighbor, as we see but one side of the moon; in either case there is also a dark half, which is unknown to us. We all come down to dinner, but each has a room to himself.

The most intellectual of men are moved quite as much by the circumstances which they are used to as by their own will. The active voluntary part of a man is very small, and if it were not economized by a sleepy kind of habit, its results would be null.

Credit means that a certain confidence is given, and a certain trust reposed. Is that trust justified? And is that confidence wise? These are the cardinal questions. To put it more simply credit is a set of promises to pay; will those promises be kept?

Stupidity is nature's favorite resource for preserving consistency of opinion.

A man's mother is his misfortune, but his wife is his fault.