"It's not illegal to bribe a congressman. They'd starve otherwise."
— Robert W. Latham
"You know that the inner compass that should direct the soul toward justice has ossified in white men and women, North and South, unto utter uselessness through tolerating the evil of slavery. White people cannot bear the thought of sharing this country's infinite abundance with Negroes."
— Thaddeus Stevens
"A compass, I learned when I was surveying, it'll, it'll point you true north from where you're standing, but it's got no advice about the swamps deserts and chasms that you'll encounter along the way. If in pursuit of your destination you plunge ahead heedless of obstacles and achieve nothing more than to sink in a swamp, what's the use of knowing true north?"
— Lincoln, answering Stevens.
"Euclid's first common notion is this: Things which are equal to the same things are equal to each other. That's a rule of mathematical reasoning and its true because it works - has done and always will do. In his book Euclid says this is 'self evident.' You see there it is even in that 2000 year old book of mechanical law it is the self evident truth that things which are equal to the same things are equal to each other."
Abraham Lincoln, coming to terms with delaying the Confederate peace delegation to ensure passage of the 13th Amendment
"Abolishing slavery by constitutional provision settles the fate for all coming time not only for the millions now in bondage, but of unborn millions to come. Two votes stand in its way, these votes must be procured!"
— Abraham Lincoln
"I am the President of the United States of America, clothed in immense power!"
— Abraham Lincoln
"How have you held you Union together? Through democracy? Your Union, sir, is bonded in cannon fire and death."
— Alexander Stephens
"It may be you're right... But say all we've done is show the world that democracy isn't chaos. That there is a great, invisible strength in a people's union. See, we've shown that a people can endure awful sacrifice and yet cohere. Mightn't that save at least the idea of democracy, to aspire to? Eventually to become worthy of? At all rates what ever may be proven by blood and sacrifice must have been proved by now! Shall we stop this bleeding?"
— Abraham Lincoln
