Authors:

George Washington Quotes - Page 17

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
It is too probable that no plan we propose will be adopted. Perhaps another dreadful conflict is to be sustained. If, to please the people, we offer what we ourselves disprove, how can we afterwards defend our work? Let

It is too probable that no plan we propose will be adopted. Perhaps another dreadful conflict is to be sustained. If, to please the people, we offer what we ourselves disprove, how can we afterwards defend our work? Let us raise a standard to which the wise and the honest can repair. The event is in the hand of God.

George Washington
Wise, Hands, People
Speech at Constitutional Convention, Philadelphia, Pa., 14 May 1787

A woman ... all beautiful and accomplished will, while her hand and heart are undisposed of, turn the heads and set the circle in which she moves on fire. Let her marry, and what is the consequence? The madness ceases and all is quiet again. Why? Not because there is any diminution in the charms of the lady, but because there is an end of hope.

George Washington
Marriage, Beautiful, Moving
George Washington (1908). “Letters and Addresses,”

I earnestly pray that the Omnipotent Being who has not deserted the cause of America in the hour of its extremest hazard, will never yield so fair a heritage of freedom a prey to 'Anarchy' or 'Despotism'.

George Washington
Yield, America, Hazards
George Washington, Jared Sparks (1835). “The Writings of George Washington: Being His Correspondence, Addresses, Messages, and Other Papers, Official and Private”, p.406

When it was reported to General Washington that the army was frequently indulging in swearing, he immediately sent out the following order: The general is sorry to be informed that the foolish and wicked practice of profane cursing and swearing - a vice little known heretofore in the American army - is growing into fashion. Let the men and officers reflect "that we can not hope for the blessing of heaven on our army if we insult it by our impiety and folly."

George Washington
Fashion, Sorry, Army

Precedents are dangerous things; let the rein of government then be braced and held with a steady hand.

George Washington
Hands, Government, Precedent
George Washington (1852). “The life of General Washington: first president of the United States”, p.142

I am very glad to hear that the Gardener has saved so much of the St foin seed, & that of the India Hemp. Make the most you can of both, by sowing them again in drills... Let the ground be well prepared, and the Seed (St foin) be sown in April. The Hemp may be sown any where.

George Washington
Marijuana, India, Sowing
George Washington's Letter to William Pearce, founders.archives.gov. February 24, 1794.

We must take care always to keep ourselves, by suitable establishments, in a respectable defensive posture.

George Washington
Defense, Care, Establishment
George Washington, Andrew Jackson (1862). “Washington's Farewell Address: The Proclamation of Jackson Against Nullification, and the Declaration of Independence”, p.11

The tribute that is due to the talents, the rectitude, and the patriotism which adorn the characters selected to devise and adopt them. In these honorable qualifications, I behold the surest pledges, that as on one side, no local prejudices, or attachments; no seperate views, nor party animosities, will misdirect the comprehensive and equal eye which ought to watch over this great assemblage of communities and interests: so, on another, that the foundations of our National policy will be laid in the pure and immutable principles of private morality...

George Washington
Party, Character, Eye
George Washington's Inaugural Address, www.archives.gov. April 30, 1789.

I now make it my earnest prayer, that God would have you, and the State over which you preside, in his holy protection... and finally, that he would most graciously be pleased to dispose us all to do justice, to love mercy, and to demean ourselves with that charity, humility, and pacifick temper of the mind, which were the characteristicks of the divine Author of our blessed religion ; without an humble imitation of whose example, in these things, we can never hope to be a happy Nation.

George Washington
Blessed, Humble, Imitation
Circular Letter to the Governours of the several States, June 18, 1783.

Religious controversies are always productive of more acrimony and irreconcilable hatreds than those which spring from any other cause.

George Washington
Religious, Spring, Hatred
George Washington, John Clement Fitzpatrick, David Maydole Matteson (1792). “The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources, 1745-1799”

What was done with the seed saved from the India Hemp last summer? It ought, all of it, to have been sewn again; that not only a stock of seed sufficient for my own purposes might have been raised, but to have disseminated the seed to others; as it is more valuable than the common Hemp.

George Washington
Summer, Marijuana, Hemp

The fundamental principle of our constitution ... enjoins the sense of command, duty that the will of the majority shall prevail.

George Washington
Majority, Principles, Fundamentals

The blessed Religion revealed in the word of God will remain an eternal and awful monument to prove that the best Institution may be abused by human depravity; and that they may even, in some instances be made subservient to the vilest purposes.

George Washington
Blessed, Purpose, May
George Washington, Dorothy Twohig, William Wright Abbot (1987). “The Papers of George Washington: April-June 1789”

Working on your biceps? Try chopping down a cherry tree.

George Washington
Fitness, Presidential, Tree

No country upon earth ever had it more in its power to attain these blessings than United America. Wondrously strange, then, and much to be regretted indeed would it be, were we to neglect the means and to depart from the road which Providence has pointed us to so plainly; I cannot believe it will ever come to pass.

George Washington
Country, Believe, Mean
George Washington (1852). “The life of General Washington: first president of the United States”, p.155

No Man has a more perfect reliance on the all-wise and powerful dispensations of the Supreme Being than I have, nor thinks his aid more necessary...The man must be bad indeed who can look upon the events of the American Revolution without feeling the warmest gratitude towards the great Author of the Universe whose divine interposition was so frequently manifested in our behalf....In war He directed the sword, and in peace, He has ruled in our councils.

George Washington
Wise, Gratitude, Powerful

The Commander in Chief directs that Divine service be performed every Sunday at 11 o'clock...It is expected that officers of all ranks will by their attendance set an example to their men.

George Washington
Sunday, Men, Example

May 12-13: Sowed Hemp at Muddy hole by Swamp. August 7: Began to separate the Male from the Female at Do - rather too late.

George Washington
August, Males, Female

There is an opinion that parties in free countries are useful checks upon the administration of the government, and serve to keep alive the spirit of liberty. This, within certain limits, is probably true, and, in governments of a monarchical cast, patriotism may look with indulgence, if not with favor, upon the spirit of party. But in those of the popular character, in governments purely elective, it is a spirit not to be encouraged.

George Washington
Country, Party, Character
Mississippi. Constitutional Convention, George Washington (1851). “Journal of the convention of the state of Mississippi, and the act calling the same: with the Constitution of the United States, and Washington's Farewell Address”, p.73

I can never think of promoting my convenience at the expense of a friend's interest and inclination.

George Washington
Friendship, Thinking, Convenience
George Washington (1855). “Maxims of Washington: Political, Social, Moral, and Religious”, p.310

Our conflict is not likely to cease so soon as every good man would wish. The measure of iniquity is not yet filled; and unless we can return a little more to first principles, and act a little more upon patriotic ground, I do not know when it will-or-what may be the issue of the contest. Speculation-peculation-engrossing-forestalling-with all their concomitants, afford too many melancholy proofs of the decay of public virtue; and too glaring instances of its being the interest and desire of too many, who would wish to be thought friends, to continue the war.

George Washington
War, Patriotic, Men
George Washington, John Clement Fitzpatrick, David Maydole Matteson, United States George Washington Bicentennial Commission (1779). “The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources, 1745-1799”, p.312

[It] is the juvenal period of life when friendships are formed, and habits established, that will stick by one.

George Washington
Friendship, Sticks, Youth
George Washington, David Maydole Matteson, United States George Washington Bicentennial Commission (1931). “The writings of George Washington from the original manuscript sources, 1745-1799”

But lest some unlucky event should happen unfavorable to my reputation, I beg it may be remembered by every gentleman in the room that I this day declare with the utmost sincerity, I do not think myself equal to the command I am honored with.

George Washington
Thinking, Gentleman, Events
George Washington (1852). “The life of General Washington: first president of the United States”, p.121

Upon the whole I doubt whether the Benefits of opposition to the Constitution opposition to the Constitution will not ultimately be productive of more good than evil; it has called forth, in its defence, abilities which would not perhaps have been otherwise exerted that have thrown a new light upon the science of government, It has given the rights of man a full and fair discussion, and explained them in so clear and forcible a manner, as cannot fail to make a lasting impression.

George Washington
Men, Rights, Light

The reflection upon my situation and that of this army produces many an uneasy hour when all around me are wrapped in sleep. Few people know the predicament we are in.

George Washington
Sleep, Army, Reflection
George Washington, John Clement Fitzpatrick, David Maydole Matteson (1776). “The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources, 1745-1799”, p.243