The God who gave us life, gave us liberty at the same time. God, life & time
Power is not alluring to pure minds. power
Money, not morality, is the principle commerce of civilized nations. money
The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions that I wish it to be always kept alive. government
It is neither wealth nor splendor but tranquility and occupation which give you happiness. happiness
Walking is the best possible exercise. Habituate yourself to walk very fast. best & fitness
I have no ambition to govern men it is a painful and thankless office. men & politics
There is a natural aristocracy among men. The grounds of this are virtue and talents. men
When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. When the government fears the people, there is liberty. fear & government
No government ought to be without censors and where the press is free no one ever will. government
War is an instrument entirely inefficient toward redressing wrong and multiplies, instead of indemnifying losses. war
I abhor war and view it as the greatest scourge of mankind. war
It does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. God
Ignorance is preferable to error, and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing than he who believes what is wrong. truth
I have no fear that the result of our experiment will be that men may be trusted to govern themselves without a master. fear & men
Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government. government
The second office in the government is honorable and easy the first is but a splendid misery. government
I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man. God
My theory has always been, that if we are to dream, the flatteries of hope are as cheap, and pleasanter, than the gloom of despair. hope
Wisdom I know is social. She seeks her fellows. But Beauty is jealous, and illy bears the presence of a rival. beauty & wisdom
My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government. government & history
Happiness is not being pained in body or troubled in mind. happiness
Every government degenerates when trusted to the rulers of the people alone. The people themselves are its only safe depositories. being alone & government
The most successful war seldom pays for its losses. war
Conquest is not in our principles. It is inconsistent with our government. government
To penetrate and dissipate these clouds of darkness, the general mind must be strengthened by education. education
I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past. dreams, the future & history
Never spend your money before you have earned it. money
I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend. politics & religion
Timid men prefer the calm of despotism to the tempestuous sea of liberty. men
Truth is certainly a branch of morality and a very important one to society. society & truth
One loves to possess arms, though they hope never to have occasion for them. hope
When a man assumes a public trust he should consider himself a public property. trust
One travels more usefully when alone, because he reflects more. being alone & travel
The glow of one warm thought is to me worth more than money. inspirational & money
The good opinion of mankind, like the lever of Archimedes, with the given fulcrum, moves the world. being good
There is not a truth existing which I fear... or would wish unknown to the whole world. fear & truth
One man with courage is a majority. courage
Nothing gives one person so much advantage over another as to remain always cool and unruffled under all circumstances. being cool
The moment a person forms a theory, his imagination sees in every object only the traits which favor that theory. imagination
History, in general, only informs us of what bad government is. government & history
That government is the strongest of which every man feels himself a part. government
As our enemies have found we can reason like men, so now let us show them we can fight like men also. men
Peace and friendship with all mankind is our wisest policy, and I wish we may be permitted to pursue it. friendship & peace
The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. time
The republican is the only form of government which is not eternally at open or secret war with the rights of mankind. government & war
It is error alone which needs the support of government. Truth can stand by itself. being alone, government & truth
My only fear is that I may live too long. This would be a subject of dread to me. fear
Do you want to know who you are? Don't ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you. motivation
The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground. government
I find that he is happiest of whom the world says least, good or bad. being good
Difference of opinion is advantageous in religion. The several sects perform the office of a Censor - over each other. religion
If God is just, I tremble for my country. God
Peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations entangling alliances with none. friendship & peace
In every country and every age, the priest had been hostile to Liberty. aging
I have seen enough of one war never to wish to see another. war
He who knows best knows how little he knows. best
I own that I am not a friend to a very energetic government. It is always oppressive. government
I hope our wisdom will grow with our power, and teach us, that the less we use our power the greater it will be. hope, power & wisdom
It is in our lives and not our words that our religion must be read. religion
I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just that his justice cannot sleep forever. God
I believe that every human mind feels pleasure in doing good to another. being good
It takes time to persuade men to do even what is for their own good. being good, men & time
Politics is such a torment that I advise everyone I love not to mix with it. love & politics
The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only object of good government. being good, government, happiness & life
For a people who are free, and who mean to remain so, a well-organized and armed militia is their best security. best
When angry count to ten before you speak. If very angry, count to one hundred. anger
Whenever a man has cast a longing eye on offices, a rottenness begins in his conduct. politics
He who knows nothing is closer to the truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods and errors. knowledge & truth
Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom. wisdom