If I cannot retain my moral influence over a man except by occasionally knocking him down, if that is the only basis upon which he will respect me, then for the sake of his soul I have got occasionally to knock him down.

It is like writing history with lightning and my only regret is that it is all so terribly true.

I have the feeling that he would rather see a good cause fail than succeed if he were not the head of it.

Our most dangerous tendency is to expect too much of government, and at the same time do for it too little. . . . We must strive for normalcy to reach stability.

A fault which humbles a person is of more use to him or her than a good action which puffs him or her up.

Every country is renewed out of the unknown ranks and not out of the ranks of those already famous and powerful and in control.

The competent leader of men cares little for the niceties of other peoples' characters: he cares much--everything--for the exterior uses to which they may be put.... These are men to be moved. How should he move them? He supplies the power; others simply the materials on which that power operates.