A Victim Of The Use Of Water

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.

I Have Ever Been Opposed To Banks, - Opposed To Internal Improvements By The General Government, - Opposed To Distribution Of Public Lands Among The States, - Opposed To Taking The Power From The Hands Of The People, - Opposed To Special Monopolies, - Opposed To A Protective Tariff, - Opposed To A Latitudinal Construction Of The Constitution, - Opposed To Slavery Agitation And Disunion. This Is My Democracy. Point To A Single Act Of My Public Career Not In Keeping With These Principles.

Do Right And Risk The Consequences.

I Beseech Those Whose Piety Will Permit Them Reverently To Petition, That They Will Pray For This Union, And Ask That He Who Buildeth Up And Pulleth Down Nations Will, The Mercy Preserve And Unite Us. For A Nation Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand. I Wish, If This Union Must Be Dissolved, That Its Ruins May Be The Monument Of My Grave, And The Graves Of My Family. I Wish No Epitaph To Be Written To Tell That I Survive The Ruin Of This Glorious Union.

It Is A Matter Of Great Satisfaction To Me To Hope That My Children Will Be In Circumstances To Receive A Good Education. Mine Was Defective And I Feel The Inconvenience, If Not The Misfortune Of Not Receiving A Classical Education. Knowledge Is The Food Of Genius, And My Son, Let No Opportunity Escape You To Treasure Up Knowledge.