I Have Never Advocated War Except As

Whatever There Is Of Greatness In The United States, Or Indeed In Any Other Country, Is Due To Labor. The Laborer Is The Author Of All Greatness And Wealth. Without Labor There Would Be No Government, No Leading Class, And Nothing To Preserve.

A Military Life Had No Charms For Me, And I Had Not The Faintest Idea Of Staying In The Army Even If I Should Be Graduated, Which I Did Not Expect.

The Right Of Revolution Is An Inherent One. When People Are Oppressed By Their Government, It Is A Natural Right They Enjoy To Relieve Themselves Of Oppression, If They Are Strong Enough, Whether By Withdrawal From It, Or By Overthrowing It And Substituting A Government More Acceptable.

In Politics I Am Growing Indifferent - I Would Like It, If I Could Now Return To My Planting And Books At Home

The Cause Of The Great War Of The Rebellion Against The United States Will Have To Be Attributed To Slavery. For Some Years Before The War Began It Was A Trite Saying Among Some Politicians That "a State Half Slave And Half Free Cannot Exist." All Must Become Slave Or All Free, Or The State Will Go Down. I Took No Part Myself In Any Such View Of The Case At The Time, But Since The War Is Over, Reviewing The Whole Question, I Have Come To The Conclusion That The Saying Is Quite True.