Abraham Lincoln: “But we cannot be free men if this is, by our national choice, to be a land of slavery.”

If the end brings me out wrong, ten angels swearing I was right would make no difference.

Important principles may and must be inflexible.

Unlike a case of war between independent nations, there is no organized organ for us to treat with,--no one man has authority to give up the rebellion for any other man.

I do the very best I know how--the very best I can; and I mean to keep doing so until the end.