Whitelaw Reid: “God give us the courage to purify our politics and strengthen our Government to meet these new and grave duties!”

They appeared at times when public men often seemed to be groping in the dark on an unknown road, but it is now evident that the road which has been taken is substantially the road they marked out.

Spain failed to maintain her title to the security she had pledged, but the lenders knew the instability of that security when they risked their money on it.

Congress is supreme, and, for all the purposes of this department, has all the powers of the people of the United States, except such as have been expressly or by implication reserved in the prohibitions of the Constitution.

Here was the opportunity for a statesman to grasp.