Authors:

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z

John Adams Quotes - Page 12

All Quotes 4th Of July Abuse Ambition Art Atheism Atheist Balance Bible Character Children Christianity Community Constitution Country Declaration Of Independence Democracy Design Desire Dignity Doubt Duty Earth Education Evil Exercise Family Fate Freedom Giving Glory God Grief Guilt Heart Heaven History Home Honesty Honor Human Nature Hypocrisy Ignorance Independence Innocence Inspiration Inspirational Jesus Joy Judging Justice Liberty Life Lying Mankind Money Morality Motivational Office Opportunity Passion Peace Philosophy Politics Power Prejudice Pride Property Reading Reflection Religion Reputation Revenge Revolution Safety School Second Amendment Slavery Society Son Soul Success Suffering Understanding Virtue Voting War Wisdom Writing

If the multitude is possessed of the balance of real estate, the multitude will have the balance of power, and in that case the multitude will take care of the liberty, virtue, and interest of the multitude in all acts

If the multitude is possessed of the balance of real estate, the multitude will have the balance of power, and in that case the multitude will take care of the liberty, virtue, and interest of the multitude in all acts of government.

Real, Government, Balance

John Adams, Charles Francis Adams (1854). “The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: With a Life of the Author, Notes and Illustrations”, p.377

I Pray Heaven to bestow the best of blessing on this house, and on ALL that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof!

Wise, Honesty, Blessing

Letter to Abigail Adams, 2 Nov. 1800

The deliberate union of so great and various a people in such a place, is without all partiality or prejudice, if not the greatest exertion of human understanding, the greatest single effort of national deliberation that the world has ever seen.

People, Effort, Understanding

John Adams (2015). “The Works of John Adams Vol. 6: Defence of the Constitution IV, Discourses on Davila”, p.185, Jazzybee Verlag

They worry one another like mastiffs, scrambling for rank and pay like apes for nuts.

Nuts, Worry, Political

John Adams (2012). “The Letters of John and Abigail Adams”, p.212, Simon and Schuster

I must not write a word to you about politics, because you are a woman.

Writing, Political, Politics

John Adams (2003). “The Letters of John and Abigail Adams”, p.244, Penguin

Historically, usury was defined as any interest whatever on an unproductive loan.Our whole banking system I have ever abhorred, I continue to abhor, and I shall die abhorring.

Usury, Banking, Loan

I will insist that the Hebrews have done more to civilize man than any other nation.

Men, Israel, Presidential

The numbers of men in all ages have preferred ease, slumber, and good cheer to liberty, when they have been in competition.

Cheer, Men, Numbers

John Adams (2016). “John Adams: Writings from the New Nation, 1784-1826”, p.320, Library of America

A pen is certainly an excellent instrument to fix a man's attention and to inflame his ambition.

Ambition, Men, Presidential

Diary and Autobiography, 14 Nov. 1760

My country has contrived for me the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived or his imagination conceived.

Country, Men, History

John Adams (1841). “Letters, Addressed to His Wife”, p.133

Did you ever see a portrait of a great man without perceiving strong traits of pain and anxiety?

Strong, Pain, Men

John Adams, Charles Francis Adams (1856). “The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: With a Life of the Author, Notes and Illustrations”, p.217

It may be the will of Heaven that America shall suffer calamities still more wasting, and distresses yet more dreadful. If this is to be the case, it will have the good effect at least. It will inspire us with many virtues, which we have not, and correct many errors, follies and vices. But I must submit all my hopes and fears to an overruling Providence, in which, unfashionable as the faith may be, I firmly believe.

Believe, America, Errors

Letter to Abigail Adams, teachingamericanhistory.org. July 03, 1776.

Here is everything which can lay hold of the eye, ear and imagination - everything which can charm and bewitch the simple and ignorant. I wonder how Luther ever broke the spell.

Eye, Simple, Imagination

Abigail Adams, John Adams, L. H. Butterfield, Marc Friedlaender, Mary-Jo Kline (1975). “The Book of Abigail and John: Selected Letters of the Adams Family, 1762-1784”, p.79, UPNE

A desire to be observed, considered, esteemed, praised, beloved, and admired by his fellows is one of the earliest as well as the keenest dispositions discovered in the heart of man.

Patriotic, Heart, Men

John Adams (1805). “Discourses on Davila: A series of papers, on political history. Written in the year 1790, and then published in the Gazette of the United States”, p.26

There is something very unnatural and odious in a government a thousand leagues off. A whole government of our own choice, managed by persons whom we love, revere, and can confide in, has charms in it for which men will fight.

Fighting, Men, League

John Adams (2012). “The Letters of John and Abigail Adams”, p.142, Simon and Schuster

The Hebrews have done more to civilize men than any other nation: The doctrine of a supreme, intelligent sovereign of the universe, I believe to be the great essential principle of all morality, and consequently of all civilization.

Believe, Men, Intelligent

John Adams (1965). “The John Adams papers”

All the perplexities, confusion and distress in America arise, not from defects in their Constitution or Confederation, not from want of honor or virtue, so much as from the downright ignorance of the nature of coin, credit and circulation.

Nature, Money, Ignorance

John Adams' Letter to Thomas Jefferson, founders.archives.gov. August 23, 1787.

A question arises whether all the powers of government, legislative, executive, and judicial, shall be left in this body? I think a people cannot be long free, nor ever happy, whose government is in one Assembly.

Thinking, Government, Long

John Adams (1851). “The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: With a Life of the Author, Notes and Illustrations”, p.195

If we take a survey of the greatest actions...in the world...we shall find the authors of them all to have been persons whose Brains had been shaken out of their natural position.

Inspirational, Brain, World

When philosophic reason is clear and certain by intuition or necessary induction, no subsequent revelation supported by prophecies or miracles can supersede it.

Miracle, Intuition, Atheism

John Adams, Charles Francis Adams (1856). “The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United States: With a Life of the Author, Notes and Illustrations”, p.85

What is to become of an independent statesman, one who will bow the knee to no idol, who will worship nothing as a divinity but truth, virtue, and his country? I will tell you; he will be regarded more by posterity than those who worship hounds and horses; and although he will not make his own fortune, he will make the fortune of his country.

Country, Horse, Independent

John Adams, Charles Francis Adams (1854). “Works: with a life of the author”, p.512

The rights of Englishmen are derived from God, not from king or Parliament, and would be secured by the study of history, law, and tradition.

Kings, Law, Rights

Property must be secured or liberty cannot exist. But if unlimited or unbalanced power of disposing property, be put into the hands of those who have no property, France will find, as we have found, the lamb committed to the custody of the world. In such a case, all the pathetic exhortations and addresses of the national assembly to the people, to respect property, will be regarded no more than the warbles of the songsters of the forest.

Hands, People, Liberty

"Discourses on Davila : A Series of Papers on Political History first published in the Gazette of the United States". Book by John Adams, No. 13, 1805.

The question before the human race is, Whether the God of nature shall govern the world by his own laws, or whether Priests and Kings shall rule it by fictitious Miracles? Or, in other words, whether authority is originally in the People? Or whether it has descended for 1800 Years in a succession of Popes and Bishops, or brought down from Heaven by the Holy Ghost in the form of a Dove, in a Phial of holy Oil?

Kings, Law, Oil

John Adams, Abigail Adams, Thomas Jefferson (1971). “The Adams-Jefferson letters: the complete correspondence between Thomas Jefferson and Abigail and John Adams”, Touchstone

Since natural law was thought to be accessible to the ordinary man, the theory invited each juror to inquire for himself whether a particular rule of law was consonant with principles of higher law. This view is reflected in John Adams' statement that it would be an 'absurdity' for jurors to be required to accept the judge's view of the law, 'against their own opinion, judgment, and conscience.'

Men, Views, Law

Born: October 30, 1735 - July 4, 1826
Occupation: 2nd U.S. President

Quotes: 406

Popular Topics