Language is the armory of the human mind and at once contains the trophies of its past and the weapons of its future conquests. 

Every man is surrounded by a neighborhood of voluntary spies.

Only connect! That was the whole of her sermon. Only connect the prose and the passion, and both will be exalted, and human love will be seen at its height.

Information can tell us everything. It has all the answers. But they are answers to questions we have not asked, and which doubtless don’t even arise.

The only authors whom I acknowledge as American are the journalists. They indeed are not great writers, but they speak the language of their countrymen, and make themselves heard by them. 

Slang is as old as speech and the congregating together of people in cities. It is the result of crowding and excitement and artificial life.

The newspaper is the natural enemy of the book, as the whore is of the decent woman.

Language is the archives of history.

The more the pleasures of the body fade away, the greater to me is the pleasure and charm of conversation.

I am always sorry when any language is lost, because languages are the pedigrees of nations.

Writing cannot express words fully; words cannot express thoughts fully.

Methinks the human method of expression by sound of tongue is very elementary and ought to be substituted for some ingenious invention which should be able to give vent to at least six coherent sentences at once.

Speak and speed; the close mouth catches no flies.