A broad consensus exists that Lincoln was more eloquent than Davis in expressing war aims, more successful in communicating with t...he people, more skillful as a political leader in keeping factions working together for the war effort, better able to endure criticism and work with his critics to achieve a common goal. Lincoln was flexible, pragmatic, with a sense of humor to smooth relationships and help him survive the stress of his job; Davis was austere, rigid, humorless, with the type of personality that readily made enemies. Lincoln had a strong physical constitution; Davis suffered ill health and was frequently prostrated with illness. Lincoln picked good administrative subordinates (with some exceptions) and knew how to delegate authority to them; Davis went through five secretaries of war in four years; he spent a great deal of time and energy on petty administrative details that he should have left to subordinates. A disputatious man, Davis sometimes seemed to prefer winning an argument to winning the war; Lincoln was happy to lose an argument if it would help him win the war.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
There is something in age that ever, even in its own despite, must be venerable, must create respect--and to have it ill treated, ...is to me worse, more cruel and wicked than anything on earth.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
I have seen many people, who, while you are speaking to them, instead of looking at, and attending to you, fix their eyes upon the... ceiling, or some other part of the room, look out of the window, play with a dog, twirl their snuff-box, or pick their nose. Nothing discovers a little, futile, frivolous mind more than this, and nothing is so offensively ill-bred.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
Men are much more unwilling to have their weaknesses and their imperfections known, than their crimes; and, if you hint to a man t...hat you think him silly, ignorant or even ill-bred or awkward, he will hate you more and longer than it you tell him plainly that you think him a rogue.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
Humour is the making others act or talk absurdly and unconsciously; wit is the pointing out and ridiculing that absurdity consciou...sly, and with more or less ill-nature.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
Nothing is more contagious than example, and no man does any exceeding good or exceeding ill but it spawns new deeds of the same k...ind. The good we imitate through emulation, the ill through the malignity of our nature, which shame keeps locked up, but example sets free.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
Men are not only apt to forget the kindnesses and injuries that have been done them, but which is a great deal more, they hate the... persons that have obliged them, and lay aside their resentments against those that have used them ill. The trouble of returning favors and revenging wrongs is a slavery, it seems, which they can very hardly submit to.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »