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Thomas Jefferson Quotes - Page 32

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If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, it expects what never was and never will be ... The People cannot be safe without information. When the press is free, and every man is able to read, all is safe.

If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, it expects what never was and never will be ... The People cannot be safe without information. When the press is free, and every man is able to read, all is safe.

Thomas Jefferson
Truth, Men, People
Letter to Colonel Charles Yancey, January 6, 1816.

None but an armed nation can dispense with a standing army

Thomas Jefferson
Army, Gun Rights, Standing
Thomas Jefferson, Brett F. Woods (2009). “Thomas Jefferson: Thoughts on War and Revolution : Annotated Correspondence”, p.166, Algora Publishing

The late rebellion in Massachusetts has given more alarm than I think it should have done. Calculate that one rebellion in thirteen states in the course of eleven years, is but one for each state in a century and a half. No country should be so long without one. Nor will any degree of power in the hands of government prevent insurrections.

Thomas Jefferson
Wisdom, Country, Thinking
Thomas Jefferson (1829). “Memoirs, Correspondence and Private Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Late President of the United States”, p.277

But friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life, and thanks to a benevolent arrangement the greater part of life is sunshine.

Thomas Jefferson
Life, Friendship, Happiness
B. L. Rayner, Thomas Jefferson (1834). “Life of Thomas Jefferson: with selections from the most valuable portions of his voluminious and unrivalled private correspondence : with portrait”, p.423

Always take hold of things by the smooth handle.

Thomas Jefferson
Life, Smooth, Handle

Only aim to do your duty, and mankind will give you credit where you fail.

Thomas Jefferson
Failure, Government, Giving
Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson (1988). “Paine and Jefferson on Liberty”, p.22, Bloomsbury Publishing USA

If there is one principle more deeply rooted in the mind of every American, it is that we should have nothing to do with conquest.

Thomas Jefferson
Peace, War, Should Have
Thomas Jefferson (1829). “Memoir, correspondence, and miscellanies from the papers of T. Jefferson”, p.117

In defense of our persons and properties under actual violation, we took up arms. When that violence shall be removed, when hostilities shall cease on the part of the aggressors, hostilities shall cease on our part also.

Thomas Jefferson
Defense, Arms, Violence
Thomas Jefferson (1950). “The papers of Thomas Jefferson”

He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me.

Thomas Jefferson
Freedom, Ideas, Light
Letter to Isaac McPherson, 13 Aug. 1813

The happiest moments of my life have been the few which I have passed at home in the bosom of my family.

Thomas Jefferson
Family, Happiness, Success
Thomas Jefferson (1900). “The Life and Writings of ...”

A room without books is like a life without meaning.

Thomas Jefferson
Book, Rooms, Lovers

The functionaries of every government have propensities to command at will the liberty and property of their constituents. There is no safe deposit for these but with the people themselves, nor can they be safe with them without information. Where the press is free, and every man able to read, all is safe.

Thomas Jefferson
Education, Men, People
Letter to Charles Yancey, 6 Jan. 1816

I find as I grow older that I love those most whom I loved first.

Thomas Jefferson
Age, Firsts, Grows
Thomas Jefferson (2010). “The Works of Thomas Jefferson: Correspondence 1786-1787”, p.307, Cosimo, Inc.

By making this wine known to the public, I have rendered my country as great a service as if I had enabled it to pay back the national debt.

Thomas Jefferson
Country, Food, Wine

We could in the United States make as great a variety of wines as are made in Europe, not exactly of the same kinds, but doubtless as good.

Thomas Jefferson
Wine, Europe, United States
Thomas Jefferson (1853). “The writings of Thomas Jefferson: being his autobiography, correspondence, reports, messages, addresses, and other writings, official and private”, p.315

If, then, the control of the people over the organs of their government be the measure of its republicanism, and I confess I know no other measure, it must be agreed that our governments have much less of republicanism than ought to have been expected; in other words, that the people have less regular control over their agents, than their rights and their interests require.

Thomas Jefferson
Rights, Government, People
Thomas Jefferson (1829). “Memoir, correspondence, and miscellanies from the papers of T. Jefferson”

How sublime to look down on the workhouse of nature, to see her clouds, hail, snow, rain, thunder, all fabricated at our feet!

Thomas Jefferson
Nature, Rain, Feet
Thomas Jefferson (1829). “Memoirs, 2: Correspondence and Private Papers”, p.49

Whiskey claims to itself alone the exclusive office of sot-making.

Thomas Jefferson
Office, Whiskey, Claims
Thomas Jefferson, Henry Augustine Washington (1854). “The Writings of Thomas Jefferson: Correspondence, cont”, p.285

Experience has proved to us that a dollar of silver disappears for every dollar of paper emitted.

Thomas Jefferson
Dollars, Paper, Silver
Thomas Jefferson (1856). “The Writings of Thomas Jefferson: Correspondence”, p.268

No race of kings has ever presented above one man of common sense in twenty generations.

Thomas Jefferson
Kings, Men, Race
Thomas Jefferson (1829). “Memoirs, correspondence and private papers of Thomas Jefferson, ed. by T.J. Randolph”

Above all things, lose no occasion of exercising your dispositions to be grateful, to be generous, to be charitable, to be humane, to be true, just, firm, orderly, courageous, etc. Consider every act of this kind as an exercise which will strengthen your moral faculties and increase your worth.

Thomas Jefferson
Grateful, Exercise, Religion
Thomas Jefferson (1963). “The Thomas Jefferson Papers”, Dodd

I think our governments will remain virtuous for many centuries as long as they are chiefly agricultural; and this will be as long as there shall be vacant lands in any part of America. When they get piled upon one another in large cities as in Europe, they will become corrupt as in Europe.

Thomas Jefferson
Thinking, Government, Europe
Thomas Jefferson, Joyce Appleby, Terence Ball (1999). “Jefferson: Political Writings”, p.363, Cambridge University Press

The whole commerce between master and slave is a perpetual exercise of the most boisterous passions, the most unremitting despotism on the one part, and degrading submissions on the other. Our children see this, and learn to imitate it.

Thomas Jefferson
Wisdom, Workout, Children
Thomas Jefferson, Jean M. Yarbrough (1963). “The Essential Jefferson”, p.130, Hackett Publishing

It is my principle that the will of the majority should always prevail.

Thomas Jefferson
Motivational, Democracy, Majority
Thomas Jefferson, Joyce Appleby, Terence Ball (1999). “Jefferson: Political Writings”, p.363, Cambridge University Press

Gouverneur Morris had often told me that General Washington believed no more of that system (Christianity) than did he himself.

Thomas Jefferson
Religion, Atheism, Christianity