I believe if every Protestant were to be stricken down by a lightning-stroke, that our brethren of the Catholic faith would still carry on the Republic in the spirit of a true and liberal freedom.

I believe if every man of native birth within our borders were to die this day, the men of foreign birth, who have come here to seek homes and liberty under the shadow of the Republic, would carry it on in God's appointed way.

I believe if every man of the North were to die, the new and chastened South, with the virtues it has cherished from the beginning, with its courage and its constancy, would take the country and bear it on to the achievement of its lofty…

But America would survive them all, and the nation our fathers planted would endure in perennial life.

I account it my supreme good fortune that my public life has been spent in the service of Massachusetts.

What royal house, what empire or monarchy, can show a catalogue like that of the men whom in every generation she has called to high places--Bradford, and Winthrop, and Sir Henry Vane, Leverett, and Sam Adams and John Adams and his…

Nothing better can be said in praise of either than that they have been worthy of her, and she has been worthy of them.

They have given her always brave and honest service, brave and honest counsel.

She has never asked of them obsequiousness, or flattery, or even obedience to her will, unless it had the approval of their own judgment and conscience.

They have never been afraid to trust the people and they have never been afraid to withstand the people.

They knew well the great secret of all statesmanship, that he that withstands the people on fit occasions is commonly the man who trusts them most and always in the end the man they trust most.

My mother was the most perfect democrat, in the best sense of the word, that I ever knew.

It recognized the dignity of the individual soul, without regard to the accident of birth or wealth or power or color of the skin.

If she were in the company of a Queen, it would never have occurred to her that they did not meet as equals.

The poorest people in the town, the paupers in the poorhouse, thought of her as a personal friend to whom they could turn for sympathy and help.

And I think the legacy was valued as highly by her who paid it as if it had been a costly gem or a work of art from an emperor's gallery.

He was content to cause great things to be done for his country, and cared nothing for the pride and glory of having done them.

His tenacity, the independence of his judgment, and his influence over the great men with whom he was associated, is shown by four striking instances among many others where he succeeded in impressing his opinion on his associates.

Whereas, if these things were reformed, the provisions and other commodities which we might have to export yearly, and which other governments are dependent upon us for, would procure us gold and silver abundantly sufficient for a medium…

And we might be as independent, flourishing and happy a colony as any in the British Dominions.

The law of the State made it a penal offence to teach a colored child to read.

They insisted that they were performing a religious duty, and declared that they should disobey the law and take the consequences.

His death was caused by his exertions in resisting the removal of the Cherokee Indians from Georgia, a removal accomplished in violation of the Constitution and of public faith.

The Supreme Court of the United States declared the law of Georgia unconstitutional.

He has fallen at the very gate of an honorable and eminent career, and a thousand hopes are buried in his grave.