Ulysses S. Grant Quotes

England and the United States are natural allies, and should be the best of friends.

It was my fortune, or misfortune, to be called to the office of Chief Executive without any previous political training.

Hold fast to the Bible as the sheet-anchor of your liberties; write its precepts in your hearts, and practice them in your lives.

The will of the people is the best law.

There are but few important events in the affairs of men brought about by their own choice.

My failures have been errors in judgment, not of intent.

Venice would be a fine city if it were only drained.

My judgment now is that he was vacillating and undecided in his actions.

If men make war in slavish obedience to rules, they will fail.

I know no method to secure the repeal of bad or obnoxious laws so effective as their stringent execution.

Everyone has his superstitions. One of mine has always been when I started to go anywhere, accomplished.

Let no guilty man escape, if it can he avoided ... No personal consideration should stand in the way of performing a public duty.

I have made it a rule of my life to trust a man long after other people gave him up, but I don't see how I can ever trust any human being again.

Let us have peace.

Two commanders on the same field are always one too many.

It is men who wait to be selected, and not those who seek, from whom we may expect the most efficient service.

It does look like a very good exercise. But what is the little white ball for?

The theory of government changes with general progress.

There never was a time when, in my opinion, some way could not be found to prevent the drawing of the sword.

The most confident critics are generally those who know the least about the matter criticized.

On several occasions during the war he came to the relief of the Union army by means of his SUPERIOR MILITARY GENIUS.

In politics I am growing indifferent - I would like it, if I could now return to my planting and books at home

God gave us Lincoln and Liberty, let us fight for both.

No theory of my own will ever stand in the way of my executing, in good faith, any order I may receive from those in authority over me.

I suppose this work is part of the devil that is in us all.

The distant rear of an army engaged in battle is not the best place from which to judge correctly what is going on in front.

Labor disgraces no man; unfortunately, you occasionally find men who disgrace labor.

Nations, like individuals, are punished for their transgressions.

I desire the good-will of all, whether hitherto my friends or not.

I will raid the arsenal and start a war to end slavery.

Quit thinking about what Bobby Lee's gonna do to us and start thinking about what we're going to do to him.

The long-continued and useful public service and eminent purity of character of the deceased ex-President will be remembered.

The art of war is simple enough. Find out where your enemy is. Get at him as soon as you can. Strike him as hard as you can, and keep moving on.

He preferred yielding his own wish to gratify others, rather than to insist upon having his own way.

To maintain peace in the future it is necessary to be prepared for war.

I have never advocated war except as a mean of peace

The problem for us was to move forward to a decisive victory, or our cause was lost.

I appreciate the fact, and am proud of it, that the attentions I am receiving are intended more for our country than for me personally.

I propose to fight it out on this line if it takes all summer.

We're teachers, and we have a commitment." "Commitment to what-to live and die in this hellhole, when we can leave and live like other people?

Cheap cigars come in handy; they stifle the odor of cheap politicians.

There are but two parties now: traitors and patriots. And I want hereafter to be ranked with the latter and, I trust, the stronger party.

There is nothing more I should do to it now, and therefore I am not likely to be more ready to go than at this moment.

Ah, you know my weaknesses
my children and my horses.

Lee's army will be your objective point. Wherever Lee goes, there you will go also.

I never wanted to get out of a place as much as I did to get out of the presidency.

Nothing could be more dishonorable than to accept high rank and command in war and then betray the trust.

Wars produce many stories of fiction, some of which are told until they are believed to be true.

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,

War is progressive because all instruments of war are progressive.

Although a soldier by profession, I have never felt any sort of fondness for war, and I have never advocated it, except as a means of peace.

My family is American, and has been for generations, in all its branches, direct and collateral

Wherever the enemy goes let our troops go also.

Really, Mr. Lincoln, I have had enough of this show business.

Our great modern Republic. May those who seek the blessings of its institutions and the protection of its flag remember the obligations they impose.

I'm afraid I'm elected.

I knew the enemy were ready to break and only wanted a little encouragement from us to go quickly and join their friends who had started earlier.

I never knew what to do with a paper except to put it in a side pocket or pass it to a clerk who understood it better than I did.

I thought how little interest the men before me had in the results of the war, and how little knowledge they had of "what it was all about.

If you see the President, tell him from me that whatever happens there will be no turning back.

But for a soldier his duty is plain. He is to obey the orders of all those placed over him and whip the enemy wherever he meets him.

I felt that 15,000 men on the 8th would be more effective than 50,000 a month later.

In every battle there comes a time when both sides consider themselves beaten then he who continues the attack wins.

No other terms than unconditional and immediate surrender. I propose to move immediately upon your works.

I will not move my army without onions.

Retreat? NO. I propose to attach at daylight and whip them.

It will be all right if it turns out all right.

His presence soon restored confidence.

You can violate the law. The banks may violate the law and be sustained in doing so. But the President of the United States cannot violate the law.

I only knew what was in my mind, and I wished to express it clearly

The fact is I think I am a verb instead of a personal pronoun. A verb is anything that signifies to be; to do; or to suffer. I signify all three.

I know only two tunes. One of them is 'Yankee Doodle' the other isn't.