“I regret that I am now to die in the belief, that the useless sacrifice of themselves by the generation of 1776, to acquire self- government and happiness to their country, is to be thrown away by the unwise and unworthy passions of their sons, and that my only consolation is to be, that I live not to weep over it. If they would but dispassionately weigh the blessings they will throw away, against an abstract principle more likely to be effected by union than by scission, they would pause before they would perpetrate this act of suicide on themselves, and of treason against the hopes of the world. To yourself, as the faithful advocate of the Union, I tender the offering of my high esteem and respect.”

“He who gives only what he would as readily throw away gives without generosity; for the essence of generosity is in self-sacrifice.”

“No more stress, now I'm straight
Now I get it, now I take time to think
Before I make mistakes just for my family's sake
part of me left yesterday
The heart of me is strong today
No regrets I'm blessed to say that old me dead and gone away”

“One more word before I go… this is on final tribute to you that I would like to pay — I am blessed indeed that you have passed my way.”

“I tore off my mask so as not to lose one of her tears… and she did not run away!… and she did not die!… She remained alive, weeping over me, weeping with me. We cried together! I have tasted all the happiness the world can offer.”

“I found that I had written a book which even bankers' daughters could read and weep over and feel good about. I swore to myself that if I every wrote another book, no one would weep over it; that it would be so hard and deep that they would have to face it without the consolation of tears.”

“I have had a son killed, a son-in-law die during the last battle of Nashville, another son has thrown himself away, a second son-in-law is in no better condition, I think I have had sorrow enough without having my bank account examined by a Committee of Congress.”

“I hurl the glass teapot to the ground.

we both stare at it, stunned.

"it was supposed to break," I explain after a pause, " and that was going to signify that yes, I would throw something away. If I knew it wasn't right for me.”

“O I loved too much and by such and such is happiness thrown away.”

“I have lived among Negroes, all my life, and I am for this Government with slavery under the Constitution as it is. I am for the Government of my fathers with Negroes, I am for it without Negroes. Before I would see this Government destroyed, I would send every negro back to Africa, disintegrated and blotted out of space.”