19 quotes
Founding Father, U.S. president from 1797 to 1801
“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
"There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty."
on Freedom
"A government of laws, and not of men."
on Law
"Abuse of words has been the great instrument of sophistry and chicanery, of party, faction, and division of society."
on Language
"Let us tenderly and kindly cherish, therefore, the means of knowledge. Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write."
on Wisdom
"Liberty cannot be preserved without general knowledge among the people."
"Power always thinks it has a great soul and vast views beyond the comprehension of the weak."
on Power
"Because power corrupts, society's demands for moral authority and character increase as the importance of the position increases."
on Corruption
"Power always thinks... that it is doing God's service when it is violating all his laws."
"Great is the guilt of an unnecessary war."
on War
"I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy."
on Liberty
"Posterity! You will never know how much it cost the present generation to preserve your freedom! I hope you will make a good use of it."
"A government of laws, and not of men"
"The happiness of society is the end of government."
on Philosophy
"Fear is the foundation of most governments."
on Fear
"The essence of a free government consists in an effectual control of rivalries."
"Old minds are like old horses you must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order."
"In esse I am nothing in posse I am everything."
"In politics the middle way is none at all."
on Politics
