Abraham Lincoln

"The best way to get a bad law repealed is to enforce it strictly."

"You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down."

"Our safety, our liberty, depends upon preserving the Constitution of the United States as our fathers made it inviolate. The people of the United States are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution."

"Allow the President to invade a neighboring nation, whenever he shall deem it necessary to repel an invasion and you allow him to do so whenever he may choose to say he deems it necessary for such purpose -- and you allow him to make war at pleasure. . . . If, today, he should choose to say he thinks it necessary to invade Canada to prevent the British from invading us, how could you stop him? You may say to him, 'I see no probability of the British invading us'; but he will say to you, 'Be silent; I see it, if you don't."

"I would rather be a little nobody, then to be a evil somebody."

"Character is like a tree and reputation its shadow. The shadow is what we think it is and the tree is the real thing."

"But for this book we could not know right from wrong."

"I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man. All the good from The Savior of the world is communicated to us through this Book."

"If this is coffee, please bring me some tea; but if this is tea, please bring me some coffee."

"My greatest concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are concerned with your failure."

"I am not concerned that you have fallen -- I am concerned that you arise."

"The struggle of today, is not altogether for today - it is for a vast future also."

"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."

"Achievement has no COLOR."

"Respected Teacher,My son will have to learn that all men are not just, all men are not true. But teach him also that for ever scoundrel there is a hero; that for every selfish politician, there is a dedicated leader. Teach him that for every enemy there is a friend. It will take time, I know; but teach him, if you can, that a dollar earned is far more valuable than five found. Teach him to learn to lose and also to enjoy winning. Steer him away from envy, if you can. Teach him the secret of quite laughter. Let him learn early that the bullies are the easiest to tick. Teach him, if you can, the wonder of books... but also give him quiet time to ponder over the eternal mystery of birds in the sky, bees in the sun, and flowers on a green hill. In school teach him it is far more honorable to fail than to cheat. Teach him to have faith in his own ideas, even if every one tells him they are wrong. Teach him to be gentle with gentle people and tough with the tough. Try to give my son the strength not to follow the crowd when every one is getting on the bandwagon. Teach him to listen to all men but teach him also to filter all he hears on a screen of truth and take only the good that comes through. Teach him, if you can, how to laugh when he is sad. Teach him there is no shame in tears. Teach him to scoff at cynics and to beware of too much sweetness. Teach him to sell his brawn and brain to the highest bidders; but never to put a price tag on his heart and soul. Teach him to close his ears to a howling mob… and to stand and fight if he thinks he’s right. Treat him gently; but do not cuddle him because only the test of fire makes fine steel. Let him have the courage to be impatient, let him have the patience to be brave. Teach him always to have sublime faith in himself because then he will always have sublime faith in mankind. This is a big order; but see what you can do. He is such a fine little fellow, my son.(Abraham Lincoln’s letter to his son’s Head Master)"

"One company can serve some of your needs all of the time, or all of your needs some of the time, but never both."

"“I'm a success today because I had a friend who believed in me and I didn't have the heart to let him down.”"

"“My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right.”"

"“When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad. That's my religion.”"

"If any man ceases to attack me, I never remember the past against him."