21 quotes
14th and 19th United States Secretary of State (1782–1852)
“The proper function of a government is to make it easy for the people to do good, and difficult for them to do evil.”
"A country cannot subsist well without liberty, nor liberty without virtue."
on Freedom
"Justice, sir, is the great interest of man on earth. It is the ligament which holds civilized beings and civilized nations together."
on Justice
"It is my living sentiment, and by the blessing of God it shall be my dying sentiment, independence now and independence forever."
"Whatever government is not a government of laws, is a despotism, let it be called what it may"
on Government
"Failure is more frequently from want of energy than want of capital."
on Success
"Whatever makes men good Christians, makes them good citizens."
on Faith
"The people's government, made for the people, made by the people, and answerable to the people."
on Democracy
"What is valuable is not new and what is new is not valuable."
on Philosophy
"God grants liberty only to those who love it, and are always ready to guard and defend it."
"Keep cool anger is not an argument."
on Wisdom
"There is nothing so powerful as truth - and often nothing so strange."
on Truth
"The world is governed more by appearance than realities so that it is fully as necessary to seem to know something as to know it."
"There is nothing so powerful as truth, and often nothing so strange."
"Liberty and Union now and forever one and inseparable."
"There is no refuge from confession but suicide and suicide is confession."
"Liberty and Union now and for ever one and inseparable!"
"Falsehoods not only disagree with truths but usually quarrel among themselves."
"Whatever makes men good Christians makes them good citizens."
"There is always room at the top."
"When tillage begins other arts follow. The farmers therefore are the founders of human civilization."
on Agriculture
