The very essence of a free government consists in considering offices as public trusts, bestowed for the good of the country, and not for the benefit of an individual or a party.

There never has yet existed a wealthy and civilized society in which one portion of the community did not, in point of fact, live on the labor of the other.

I never use the word nation in speaking of the United States. I always use the word Union or Confederacy. We are not a nation but a union, a confederacy of equal and sovereign States.

Irresponsible power is inconsistent with liberty, and must corrupt those who exercise it.

In looking back, I see nothing to regret, and little to correct.

The defence of human liberty against the aggressions of despotic power have been always the most efficient in States where domestic slavery was to prevail.

It is harder to preserve than to obtain liberty.

Government has within it a tendency to abuse its powers.

Beware the wrath of a patient adversary.

The will of a majority is the will of a rabble. Progressive democracy is incompatable with liberty.

Learn from your mistakes and build on your successes.

Until you see beauty everywhere, in every face, until then, you are blind.

Begin each day with the hope of ending it with the bests of your steps. Plan the day ahead and ensure that the plans are worthy of ensuring your dreams are achieved. Get started.

Common sense is only irritating in other people

Living in New York after 14 years, I'm such an outdoors kind of person. I love gardening and building things. I like restoring old furniture.

Knowledge is knowing a fact, wisdom is knowing what to do with that fact.

Hillary Clinton at the end of the day will be a friend of Wall Street.

To this day I do not know whether the power which has inspired my works is something related to religion, or is indeed religion itself.

It's sort of well-known that anytime any catastrophe happens anywhere in the world, they can count on the United States for help.

I grew up raised by my mom and my two sisters, so I never had a real male influence in my life. I never really understood heterosexual male relationships.

If the person you are trying to diagnose politically is some sort of intellectual, the chances are two to one he is a Democrat.