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Thomas Jefferson Quotes - Page 45

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If any doubt has arisen as to me, my country [Virginia] will have my political creed in the form of a Declaration &c. which I was lately directed to draw. This will give decisive proof that my own sentiment concurred

If any doubt has arisen as to me, my country [Virginia] will have my political creed in the form of a "Declaration &c." which I was lately directed to draw. This will give decisive proof that my own sentiment concurred with the vote they instructed us to give.

Thomas Jefferson
Country, Virginia, Giving
Thomas Jefferson (2010). “The Works of Thomas Jefferson: Correspondence 1771 - 1779, the Summary View, and the Declaration of Independence”, p.198, Cosimo, Inc.

This doctrine ['that the condition of man cannot be ameliorated, that what has been must ever be, and that to secure ourselves where we are we must tread with awful reverence in the footsteps of our fathers']is the genuine fruit of the alliance between Church and State, the tenants of which finding themselves but too well in their present condition, oppose all advances which might unmask their usurpations and monopolies of honors, wealth and power, and fear every change as endangering the comforts they now hold.

Thomas Jefferson
Father, Men, Honor
Thomas Jefferson (1984). “Jefferson: Writings”, p.570, Library of America

The Giver of life gave it for happiness and not for wretchedness.

Thomas Jefferson
Giver, Wretchedness
Thomas Jefferson, Henry Augustine Washington (1858). “The life and letters of Thomas Jefferson: being his autobiography and select correspondence, from original manuscripts”, p.319

Hindsight is an exact science. Hold fast to your dreams, for it dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly. How much pain they have cost us, the evils which have never happened.

Thomas Jefferson
Dream, Pain, Evil

A right to property is founded in our natural wants, in the means with which we are endowed to satisfy these wants, and the right to what we acquire by those means without violating the similar rights of other sensible beings.

Thomas Jefferson
Mean, Rights, Want
Thomas Jefferson, Henry Augustine Washington (1854). “The Writings of Thomas Jefferson: Being His Autobiography, Correspondence, Reports, Messages, Addresses, and Other Writings, Official and Private : Published by the Order of the Joint Committee of Congress on the Library, from the Original Manuscripts, Deposited in the Department of State”, p.591

Whose foot is to be the measure to which ours are all to be cut or stretched?

Thomas Jefferson
Cutting, Feet, Censorship
Letter to N. G. Dufief, 19 Apr. 1814

To be really useful, we must keep pace with the state of society, and not dishearten it by attempts at what its population, means, or occupations will fail in attempting.

Thomas Jefferson
Mean, Population, Pace
Thomas Jefferson (1854). “The Writings of Thomas Jefferson”, p.79

Many of the opposition [to the new Federal Constitution] wish to take from Congress the power of internal taxation. Calculation has convinced me that this would be very mischievous.

Thomas Jefferson
Wish, Would Be, Taxation

I hold it to be one of the distinguishing excellences of elective over hereditary successions that the talents which nature has provided in sufficient proportion, should be selected by the society for the govenment of their affairs, rather than that this should be be transmitted through the loins of knaves and fools passing from the debauches of the table to those of the bed.

Thomas Jefferson
Nature, Excellence, Bed
Thomas Jefferson, Henry Augustine Washington (1859). “The Writings of Thomas Jefferson: Correspondence”, p.466

If the game runs sometimes against us at home we must have patience till luck turns, and then we shall have an opportunity of winning back the principles we have lost, for this is a game where principles are at stake.

Thomas Jefferson
Running, Home, Winning
Thomas Jefferson (1829). “Memoir, correspondence, and miscellanies from the papers of T. Jefferson”, p.394

If by religion we are to understand sectarian dogmas, in which no two of them agree, then your exclamation on that hypothesis is just, "that this would be the best of worlds if there were no religion in it.

Thomas Jefferson
Two, Would Be, World
Thomas Jefferson (1829). “Memoir, correspondence, and miscellanies from the papers of T. Jefferson”

The bulk of mankind are schoolboys through life.

Thomas Jefferson
Teaching, Mankind
Thomas Jefferson, Henry Augustine Washington (1858). “The life and letters of Thomas Jefferson: being his autobiography and select correspondence, from original manuscripts”, p.163

The persons and property of our citizens are entitled to the protection of our government in all places where they may lawfully go.

Thomas Jefferson
Government, Citizens, May
Thomas Jefferson, Henry Augustine Washington (1859). “The Writings of Thomas Jefferson: Correspondence. Reports and opinions while secretary of state”, p.624

Responsibility is a tremendous engine in a free government.

Thomas Jefferson
Responsibility, Government, Free Government
Thomas Jefferson, John Dewey (2008). “The Essential Jefferson”, p.47, Courier Corporation

I am for relying for internal defense on our militia solely till actual invasion, and for such a naval force only as may protect our coasts and harbors from such depredations as we have experienced; and not for a standing army in time of peace which may overawe the public sentiment; nor for a navy which, by its own expenses and the eternal wars in which it will implicate us, will grind us with public burthens and sink us under them.

Thomas Jefferson
War, Army, Navy
Bernard Mayo, Thomas Jefferson (1988). “Jefferson Himself: The Personal Narrative of a Many-Sided American”, p.212, University of Virginia Press

I extremely believe in luck, and I discovered more hard work, your luck as much

Thomas Jefferson
Believe, Hard Work, Luck

Resolved ... that it would be a dangerous delusion were a confidence in the men of our choice to silence our fears for the safety of our rights: that confidence is everywhere the parent of despotism - free government is founded in jealousy, and not in confidence.

Thomas Jefferson
Men, Rights, Safety

Reason and free inquiry are the only effective agents against error. Give a loose to them, they will support the true religion by bringing every false one to their tribunal, to the test of their investigation. They are the natural enemies of error and error only. Had not the Roman government permitted free inquiry, Christianity could never have been introduced. Had not free inquiry been indulged at the era of the Reformation, the corruption of Christianity could not have been purged away.

Thomas Jefferson
Errors, Government, Giving

If science produces no better fruits than tyranny... I would rather wish our country to be ignorant, honest and estimable as our neighbouring savages are.

Thomas Jefferson
Country, Ignorant, Wish

From forty years' experience of the wretched guess-work of the newspapers of what is not done in open daylight, and of their falsehood even as to that, I rarely think them worth reading, and almost never worth notice.

Thomas Jefferson
Reading, Thinking, Years
Thomas Jefferson (2010). “The Works of Thomas Jefferson: Correspondence and Papers, 1808-1816”, p.514, Cosimo, Inc.

The olive tree is surely the richest gift of Heaven. I can scarcely expect bread.

Thomas Jefferson
Tree, Heaven, Olive Oil

The power of making war often prevents it.

Thomas Jefferson
War, Antiwar
Thomas Jefferson, Brett F. Woods (2009). “Thomas Jefferson: Thoughts on War and Revolution : Annotated Correspondence”, p.77, Algora Publishing

Having always observed that public works are much less advantageously managed than the same are by private hands, I have thought it better for the public to go to market for whatever it wants which is to be found there; for there competition brings it down to the minimum value.

Thomas Jefferson
Hands, Competition, Want
Thomas Jefferson (1853). “The writings of Thomas Jefferson: being his autobiography, correspondence, reports, messages, addresses, and other writings, official and private”, p.326

The truth is, that the greatest enemies to the doctrines of Jesus are those, calling themselves the expositors of them, who have perverted them for the structure of a system of fancy absolutely incomprehensible, and without any foundation in His genuine words.

Thomas Jefferson
Jesus, Enemy, Foundation
Thomas Jefferson (1829). “Memoir, Correspondence, and Miscellanies: From the Papers of Thomas Jefferson”, p.365

I steer my bark with hope in the head, leaving fear astern. My hopes indeed sometimes fail, but not oftener than the forebodings of the gloomy.

Thomas Jefferson
Hope, Wisdom, Fear
Thomas Jefferson, Joyce Appleby, Terence Ball (1999). “Jefferson: Political Writings”, p.49, Cambridge University Press