We are not bound to follow implicitly in whatever our fathers did. To do so would be to reject all progress, all improvement. _THIRTY-FIRST_ Understanding the spirit of our institutions to aim at the elevation of men, I am opposed to whatever tends to degrade them. _APRIL_ _The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause which we deem to be just._ _FIRST_ You can fool some of the people all of the time, or all of the people some of the time; but you can't fool all of the people all of the time. _SECOND_ He has abundant talents--quite enough to occupy all his time without devoting any to temper. _THIRD_ I do not argue--I beseech you to make the argument for yourself. _FOURTH_ Must a government, of necessity, be too strong for the liberties of its own people, or too weak to maintain its own existence? _FIFTH_ Lift artificial weights from all shoulders. _SIXTH_ The purposes of the Lord are perfect and must prevail. _SEVENTH_ Some people say they could not take very well to my proclamation, but now that I have the varioloid, I am happy to say I have something that everybody can take. _EIGHTH_ Honest statesmanship is the employment of individual meannesses for the public good. _NINTH_ Obey God's commandments. _TENTH_ Men are not flattered by being shown that there has been a difference of purpose between the Almighty and them. _ELEVENTH_ Important principles may and must be inflexible. _TWELFTH_ There is but one duty now--to fight. _THIRTEENTH_ A majority held in restraint by constitutional checks and limitations, and always changing easily with deliberate changes of popular opinions and sentiments, is the only true sovereign of a free people. _FOURTEENTH_ This, too, shall pass away: never fear. _FIFTEENTH_ I am not afraid to die. _SIXTEENTH_ I have said nothing but what I am willing to live by, and, if it be the pleasure of Almighty God, to die by. _SEVENTEENTH_ Let us strive on to finish the work we are in. _EIGHTEENTH_ Give us a little more light, and a little less noise. _NINETEENTH_ The wild lands of the country should be distributed so that every man should have the means and opportunity of benefiting his condition. _TWENTIETH_ I shall try to correct errors, when shown to be errors; and I shall adopt new views, so fast as they shall appear to be true views. _TWENTY-FIRST_ There is nothing like getting used to things. _TWENTY-SECOND_ When the white man governs himself, that is self-government; but when he governs himself and also governs another man, that is more than self-government--that is despotism. _TWENTY-THIRD_ If they kill me, the next will be just as bad for them. _TWENTY-FOURTH_ With Shakespeare the thought suffices. _TWENTY-FIFTH_ As to the crazy folks--why, I must take my chances. _TWENTY-SIXTH_ I think it more rare, if not more wise, for a public man to abstain from much speaking.