Great political questions stir the deepest nature of one-half the nation, but they pass far above and over the heads of the other half.

The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance.

Political convulsions, like geological upheavings usher in new epochs of the world's progress.

We measure genius by quality, not by quantity.

Brains and character rule the world. The most distinguished Frenchman of the last century said: Men succeed less by their talents than their character. There were scores of men a hundred years ago who had more intellect than Washington. He outlives and overrides them all by the influence of his character.

God gives manhood but one clew to success,--utter and exact justice; that he guarantees shall be always expediency.

There is a very broad theory that society gets the right to hang, as the individual gets the right to defend himself. Suppose she does; there are certain principles which limit this right. Society has got the murderer within four walls; he never can do any more harm. Has society any need to take that man's life to protect itself? If any society has only the right that the individual has, she has no right to inflict the penalty of death, because she can effectually restrain the individual from ever again committing his offence.