Lapham’s Quarterly

Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.

Many need no other provocation to enmity than that they find themselves excelled.

Children are all foreigners. We treat them as such.

“Abroad,” that large home of ruined reputations.

I do desire we may be better strangers.

One of the most time-consuming things is to have an enemy.

It’s good to remember that in crises, natural crises, human beings forget for a while their ignorances, their biases, their prejudices. For a little while, neighbors help neighbors and strangers help strangers.

The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much.

By nature, men are nearly alike; by practice, they get to be wide apart.

I have said this before, but I shall say it again and again and again: your boys are not going to be sent into any foreign wars.