Thomas Jefferson

“Peace and friendship with all mankind is our wisest policy, and I wish we may be permitted to pursue it.”

“Peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations entangling alliances with none.”

“I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just that his justice cannot sleep forever.”

“I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.”

“If God is just, I tremble for my country.”

“It does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God.”

“The God who gave us life, gave us liberty at the same time.”

“The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only object of good government.”

“I believe that every human mind feels pleasure in doing good to another.”

“It takes time to persuade men to do even what is for their own good.”

“I find that he is happiest of whom the world says least, good or bad.”

“The Creator has not thought proper to mark those in the forehead who are of stuff to make good generals. We are first, therefore, to seek them blindfold, and then let them learn the trade at the expense of great losses.”

“The good opinion of mankind, like the lever of Archimedes, with the given fulcrum, moves the world.”

“I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our monied corporations which dare already to challenge our government to a trial by strength, and bid defiance to the laws of our country.”

“My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.”

“Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.”

“The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions that I wish it to be always kept alive.”

“Sometimes it is said that man cannot be trusted with the government of himself. Can he, then be trusted with the government of others? Or have we found angels in the form of kings to govern him? Let history answer this question.”

“Conquest is not in our principles. It is inconsistent with our government.”

“I own that I am not a friend to a very energetic government. It is always oppressive.”

“So confident am I in the intentions, as well as wisdom, of the government, that I shall always be satisfied that what is not done, either cannot, or ought not to be done.”

“That government is the strongest of which every man feels himself a part.”

“No government ought to be without censors and where the press is free no one ever will.”

“The second office in the government is honorable and easy; the first is but a splendid misery.”