Authors:

George Washington Quotes - Page 12

All Quotes 4th Of July Acting Adoption Adversity Affection Age Aids Ambition Army Art Atheism Bible Business Character Children Choices Christianity Church Community Constitution Country Crime Destiny Discipline Doubt Duty Dying Education Effort Encouragement Evil Exercise Experience Fashion Fate Feelings Fighting Foreign Policy Freedom Friendship Giving Glory God Gratitude Growth Happiness Harmony Hatred Heart Heaven Home Honesty Honor Human Nature Humanity Imitation Immigration Independence Injustice Inspiration Inspirational Integrity Jesus Judging Justice Knowledge Leadership Liberty Life Love Lying Mankind Marriage Military Morality Motivational Navy Office Opportunity Passion Past Patriotism Peace Perfection Politics Praise Prayer Pride Progress Prosperity Purpose Quality Redemption Reflection Regret Religion Reputation Retirement Revolution Revolutionary War Running Second Amendment Sin Slavery Sleep Society Son Soul Spring Study Success Suffering Taxes Thanksgiving Truth Virtue Voting War Welfare Wisdom Youth
If we desire to avoid insult, we must be able to repel it; if we desire to secure peace, one of the most powerful instruments of our rising prosperity, it must be known, that we are at all times ready for War.

If we desire to avoid insult, we must be able to repel it; if we desire to secure peace, one of the most powerful instruments of our rising prosperity, it must be known, that we are at all times ready for War.

George Washington
Peace, Money, Powerful
George Washington (1837). “Speeches and messages to Congress, proclamations, and addresses”, p.38

A natural parent has only two things principally to consider, the improvement of his son, and the finances to do it with.

George Washington
Son, Two, Parent
George Washington (1908). “Letters and Addresses,”

The Constitution which at any time exists, 'till changed by an explicit and authentic act of the whole People is sacredly obligatory upon all.

George Washington
People, Constitution, Changed
Farewell Address, Philadelphia, Pa., 19 Sept. 1796

Harmony, liberal intercourse with all Nations, are recommended by policy, humanity and interest. But even our Commercial policy should hold an equal and impartial hand: neither seeking nor granting exclusive favours or preferences; consulting the natural course of things; diffusing and diversifying by gentle means the streams of Commerce, but forcing nothing; establishing with Powers so disposed; in order to give trade a stable course.

George Washington
Mean, Hands, Order
George Washington (1838). “Monuments of Washington's patriotism: containing a fac simile of his publick accounts kept during the revolutionary war; and some of the documents connected with his military command and civil administration; together with an eulogium on the character of Washington, by W. Jackson”, p.17

The foundations of our national policy will be laid in the pure and immutable principles of private morality, and the preeminence of free government be exemplified by all the attributes which can win the affections of its citizens, and command the respect of the world.

George Washington
Winning, Government, Religion
United States. President, George Washington, United States (1825). “The speeches, addresses and messages, of the several presidents of the United States, at the openings of Congress and at their respective inaugurations: Also, the Declaration of independence, the Constitution of the United States, and Washington's farewell address to his fellow-citizens”, p.32

It follows then as certain as that night succeeds the day, that without a decisive naval force we can do nothing definitive, and with it, everything honorable and glorious.

George Washington
Military, Night, Navy
George Washington (1908). “Letters and Addresses,”

War - An act of violence whose object is to constrain the enemy, to accomplish our will.

George Washington
War, 4th Of July, Enemy

A people... who are possessed of the spirit of commerce, who see and who will pursue their advantages may achieve almost anything.

George Washington
People, Banking, May
George Washington, John Clement Fitzpatrick, David Maydole Matteson (1784). “The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources, 1745-1799”, p.473

The prospect, that a good general government will in all human probability be soon established in America, affords me more substantial satisfaction; than I have ever before derived from any political event. Because there is a rational ground for believing that not only the happiness of my own countrymen, but that of mankind in general, will be promoted by it.

George Washington
Believe, America, Government
George Washington, Jared Sparks (1835). “The Writings of George Washington: pt. III. Private letters from the time Washington resigned his commission as commander-in-chief of the Army to that of his inauguration as president of the United States: December, 1783-April, 1789”, p.457

No taxes can be devised which are not more or less inconvenient and unpleasant.

George Washington
Taxation, Taxes, Tax Day
George Washington, United States. President (1789-1797 : Washington) (1847). “Washington's Farewell Address to the People of the United States of America: Published in September, 1796”, p.9

I never mean, unless some particular circumstances should compel it, to possess another slave by purchase, it being among my first wishes to see some plan adopted, by which slavery in this country may be abolished by law.

George Washington
Country, Mean, Law
George Washington, Jared Sparks (1835). “The Writings of George Washington: Being His Correspondence, Addresses, Messages, and Other Papers, Official and Private”, p.159

What a triumph for the advocates of despotism to find that we are incapable of governing ourselves, and that systems founded on the basis of equal liberty are merely ideal and fallacious.

George Washington
Liberty, Triumph, Despotism
George Washington, Jared Sparks (1837). “The Writings of George Washington: Life of Washington”, p.426

I cannot tell a lie. I cut down the cherry tree.

George Washington
Lying, Cutting, Tree

It is absolutely necessary... for me to have persons that can think for me, as well as execute orders.

George Washington
Motivational, Inspiring, Leadership
George Washington, John Clement Fitzpatrick, David Maydole Matteson (1776). “The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources, 1745-1799”, p.269

My manner of living is plain. I do not mean to be put out of it. A glass of wine and a bit of mutton are always ready; and such as will be content to partake of them are always welcome. Those, who expect more, will be disappointed, but no change will be effected by it.

George Washington
Wine, Mean, Glasses
George Washington (1835). “The writings of George Washington: being his correspondence, addresses, messages, and other papers, official and private, selected and published from the original manuscripts; with a life of the author, notes, and illustrations”, p.177

Every post is honourable in which a man can serve his country.

George Washington
Country, War, Men
George Washington, John Clement Fitzpatrick, David Maydole Matteson, United States George Washington Bicentennial Commission (1944). “The writings of George Washington from the original manuscript sources, 1745-1799: prepared under the direction of the United States George Washington bicentennial commission and published by authority of Congress”

Being no bigot myself, I am disposed to indulge the professors of Christianity in the church that road to heaven which to them shall seem the most direct, plainest, easiest and least liable to exception.

George Washington
Heaven, Church, Christianity
George Washington, Jared Sparks (1835). “The Writings of George Washington: Being His Correspondence, Addresses, Messages, and Other Papers, Official and Private”, p.262

Religion is as necessary to reason as reason is to religion. The one cannot exist without the other. A reasoning being would lose his reason, in attempting to account for the great phenomena of nature, had he not a Supreme Being to refer to; and well has it been said, that if there had been no God, mankind would have been obliged to imagine one.

George Washington
Imagine, Reason, Said
George Washington (1855). “Maxims of Washington: Political, Social, Moral, and Religious”, p.342

It would be peculiarly improper to omit in this first official act my fervent supplications to that Almighty Being Who rules over the universe, Who presides in the councils of nations, and Whose providential aids can supply every human defect.

George Washington
Would Be, Firsts, Aids
George Washington, William Jackson (1838). “Monuments of Washington's Patriotism: Containing a Fac Simile of His Publick Accounts Kept During the Revolutionary War; and Some of the Most Interesting Documents Connected with His Military Command and Civil Administration; Embracing, Among Others, the Farewell Address to the People of the United States”, p.10

Not all Masons are obligated on the Christian Bible. Masonry is universal and men of every creed are eligible for membership so long as they accept the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man. Therefore, the candidate should be obligated on the Book of the Sacred Law which he accepts as such since his obligation is a solemn and binding one.

George Washington
Christian, Book, Men

While we are contending for our own liberty, we should be very cautious not to violate the conscience of others, ever considering that God alone is the judge of the hearts of men, and to Him only in this case are they answerable.

George Washington
Religious, Freedom, Heart
George Washington (1855). “Maxims of Washington: Political, Social, Moral, and Religious”, p.376

To enlarge the sphere of social happiness is worthy of the benevolent design of a Masonic institution; and it is most fervently to be wished, that the conduct of every member of the fraternity, as well as those publications, that discover the principles which actuate them, may tend to convince mankind that the grand object of Masonry is to promote the happiness of the human race.

George Washington
Race, Design, May
George Washington (1837). “The Writings of George Washington: pt. V. Speeches and messages to Congress, proclamations, and addresses”, p.201

[Let] the poor the needy and oppressed of the Earth, and those who want Land, resort to the fertile lands of our western country, the second land of Promise, and there dwell in peace, fulfilling the first and great commandment.

George Washington
Country, Land, Promise
Jay A. Parry, Andrew M. Allison, George Washington (1991). “The real George Washington”, Natl Center for Constitutional

The tumultuous populace of large cities are ever to be dreaded. Their indiscriminate violence prostrates for the time all public authority, and its consequences are sometimes extensive and terrible.

George Washington
Cities, Violence, Sometimes
George Washington, Stephen Lucas (1999). “The Quotable George Washington: The Wisdom of an American Patriot”, p.15, Rowman & Littlefield

A part of the plan for creating discord, is, I perceive, to make me say things of others, and others of me, wch. have no foundation in truth. The first, in many instances I know to be the case; and the second I believe to be so; but truth or falsehood is immaterial to them, provided their objects are promoted.

George Washington
Believe, Creating, Foundation
George Washington, John Clement Fitzpatrick, David Maydole Matteson (1793). “The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources, 1745-1799”