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

“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”

“Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be.”

“you can fool some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time”

“Anything can be a bucket if you try hard enough and believe.”

“You can complain because a rose has thorns, or you can rejoice Because the thorns have a rose.”

“In this age, in this country, public sentiment is everything. With it, nothing can fail; against it, nothing can succeed. Whoever molds public sentiment goes deeper than he who enacts statutes, or pronounces judicial decisions.”

“Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally.”

“A universal feeling, whether well or ill-founded cannot be safely disregarded.”

“A drop of honey gathers more flies than a gallon of gall.”

“all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.”

“When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.”

“RESPONSE TO POLITICAL SMEAR TO ROBERT ALLEN New Salem, June 21, 1836 DEAR COLONEL:—I am told that during my absence last week you passed through this place, and stated publicly that you were in possession of a fact or facts which, if known to the public, would entirely destroy the prospects of N. W. Edwards and myself at the ensuing election; but that, through favor to us, you should forbear to divulge them. No one has needed favors more than I, and, generally, few have been less unwilling to accept them; but in this case favor to me would be injustice to the public, and therefore I must beg your pardon for declining it. That I once had the confidence of the people of Sangamon, is sufficiently evident; and if I have since done anything, either by design or misadventure, which if known would subject me to a forfeiture of that confidence, he that knows of that thing, and conceals it, is a traitor to his country’s interest. I find myself wholly unable to form any conjecture of what fact or facts, real or supposed, you spoke; but my opinion of your veracity will not permit me for a moment to doubt that you at least believed what you said. I am flattered with the personal regard you manifested for me; but I do hope that, on more mature reflection, you will view the public interest as a paramount consideration, and therefore determine to let the worst come. I here assure you that the candid statement of facts on your part, however low it may sink me, shall never break the tie of personal friendship between us. I wish an answer to this, and you are at liberty to publish both, if you choose. Very respectfully, A. LINCOLN.”

“The will of God prevails. In great contests each party claims to act in accordance with the will of God. Both may be, and one must be, wrong.”

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