I Make Up My Opinions From Facts

If Forced To Choose Between The Penitentiary And The White House For Four Years, I Would Say The Penitentiary, Thank You.

We Cannot Change The Hearts Of The People Of The South, But We Can Make War So Terrible That They Will Realize The Fact That However Brave And Gallant And Devoted To Their Country Still They Are Mortal And Should Exhaust All Peaceful Remedies Before They Fly To War.

Every Attempt To Make War Easy And Safe Will Result In Humiliation And Disaster.

To Secure The Safety Of The Navigation Of The Mississippi River I Would Slay Millions. On That Point I Am Not Only Insane, But Mad... I Think I See One Or Two Quick Blows That Will Astonish The Natives Of The South And Will Convince Them That, Though To Stand Behind A Big Cottonwood And Shoot At A Passing Boat Is Good Sport And Safe, It May Still Reach And Kill Their Friends And Families Hundreds Of Miles Off. For Every Bullet Shot At A Steamboat, I Would Shoot A Thousand 30-pounder Parrots Into Even Helpless Towns On Red, Ouachita, Yazoo, Or Wherever A Boat Can Float Or Soldier March.

You Might As Well Appeal Against The Thunder-storm As Against These Terrible Hardships Of War. They Are Inevitable, And The Only Way The People Of Atlanta Can Hope Once More To Live In Peace And Quiet At Home, Is To Stop The War, Which Can Only Be Done By Admitting That It Began In Error And Is Perpetuated In Pride.