#he

Middle Age is that perplexing time of life when we hear two voices calling us, one saying, "Why not?" and the other, "Why bother?" ↗

— Sydney J. Harris

#bother #calling #hear #life #middle

People who think they're generous to a fault usually think that's their only fault. ↗

— Sydney J. Harris

#generous #only #people #their #think

The most important thing in an argument, next to being right, is to leave an escape hatch for your opponent, so that he can gracefully swing over to your side without too much apparent loss of face. ↗

— Sydney J. Harris

#argument #being #escape #face #gracefully

Any nation that refuses to hold intercourse with other nations must expect to be excluded from this family. ↗

— Townsend Harris

#excluded #expect #family #hold #intercourse

If I write in my name to the agents of England and France residing in Asia and inform them that Japan is ready to make a commercial treaty with their countries, the number of steamers will be reduced from fifty to two or three. ↗

— Townsend Harris

#asia #commercial #countries #england #fifty

If Japan had been near to either England or France, war would have broken out long ago. ↗

— Townsend Harris

#been #broken #either #england #france

If you make a treaty first with the United States and settle the matter of the opium trade, England cannot change this, though she should desire to do so. ↗

— Townsend Harris

#change #desire #england #first #make

In time of war steamships and improved arms are the most important things. ↗

— Townsend Harris

#important #important things #improved #most #steamships

It appears that the English think the Japanese... are fond of opium, and they want to bring it here also. ↗

— Townsend Harris

#appears #bring #english #fond #here

It will be quite satisfactory if you open them gradually, as the circumstances may require; but the President assures you that this will not be the case if you make a treaty with England first. ↗

— Townsend Harris

#case #circumstances #england #first #gradually