Govern Wisely, And As Little As Possible

I Would Lay Down My Life To Defend Any One Of The States From Aggression, Which Endangered Peace Or Threatened Its Institutions. I Could Do More For The Union, But I Wish To Do More; For The Destruction Of The Union Would Be The Destruction Of All The States. A Stab In The Heart Is Worse Then A Cut In A Limb, For This May Be Healed.

Let Me Tell You What Is Coming. After The Sacrifice Of Countless Millions Of Treasure And Hundreds Of Thousands Of Lives You May Win Southern Independence, But I Doubt It. The North Is Determined To Preserve This Union. They Are Not A Fiery, Impulsive People As You Are, For They Live In Colder Climates. But When They Begin To Move In A Given Direction, They Move With The Steady Momentum And Perseverance Of A Mighty Avalanche.

The Benefits Of Education And Of Useful Knowledge, Generally Diffused Through A Community, Are Essential To The Preservation Of A Free Government.

I Declare That Civil War Is Inevitable And Is Near At Hand. When It Comes The Descendants Of The Heroes Of Lexington And Bunker Hill Will Be Found Equal In Patriotism, Courage And Heroic Endurance With The Descendants Of The Heroes Of Cowpens And Yorktown. For This Reason I Predict The Civil War Which Is Now At Hand Will Be Stubborn And Of Long Duration.

To Secede From The Union And Set Up Another Government Would Cause War. If You Go To War With The United States, You Will Never Conquer Her, As She Has The Money And The Men. If She Does Not Whip You By Guns, Powder, And Steel, She Will Starve You To Death. It Will Take The Flower Of The Country - The Young Men.