"It is not merely for to-day, but for all time to come that we should perpetuate for our children's children this great and free government, which we have inherited from our fathers."

"I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice."

"My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by…"

"Common sense is the most uncommon sense."

"I am a slow walker, but I never walk backward."