I claim not to have controlled events, but confess plainly that events have controlled me. I intend no modification of my oft-expressed personal wish that all men everywhere could be free. I'm a slow walker, but I never walk back. In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free, - honourable alike in what we give and what we preserve. Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow.
Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.
I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for the day. My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure. Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power. Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.