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Thomas Jefferson Quotes - Page 58

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The cement of this union is in the heart blood of every American. I do not believe there is on earth a government established on so immovable a basis.

The cement of this union is in the heart blood of every American. I do not believe there is on earth a government established on so immovable a basis.

Thomas Jefferson
Believe, Heart, Government
Thomas Jefferson, J. Jefferson Looney (2004). “The Papers of Thomas Jefferson: 1 October 1814 to 31 August 1815”, p.265, Princeton University Press

Never suppose that in any possible situation or under any circumstances that it is best for you to do a dishonorable thing however slightly so it may appear to you... Encourage all your virtuous dispositions, and exercise them whenever an opportunity arises, being assured that they will gain strength by exercise ... and that exercise will make them habitual.

Thomas Jefferson
Truth, Lying, Exercise
Thomas Jefferson, Jerry Holmes (2002). “Thomas Jefferson: A Chronology of His Thoughts”, p.60, Rowman & Littlefield

Though you cannot see, when you take one step, what will be the next, yet follow truth, justice, and plain dealing, and never fear their leading you out of [any difficult situation] in the easiest manner possible.

Thomas Jefferson
Truth, Lying, Difficult Situations
Thomas Jefferson (1829). “Memoirs, Correspondence, and Private Papers of Thomas Jefferson: Late President of the United States”, p.286

Man was destined for society. His morality therefore was to be formed to this object. He was endowed with a sense of right and wrong merely relative to this. This sense is as much a part of his nature as the sense of hearing, seeing, feeling; it is the true foundation of morality... The moral sense, or conscience, is as much a part of man as his leg or arm. It is given to all human beings in a stronger or weaker degree, as force of members is given them in a greater or less degree. It may be strengthened by exercise, as may any particular limb of the body.

Thomas Jefferson
Exercise, Men, Psychology
Thomas Jefferson's letter to Peter Carr, founders.archives.gov. August 10, 1787.

Neither believe nor reject any thing because any other person, or description of persons have rejected or believed it. Your own reason is the only oracle given you by heaven.

Thomas Jefferson
Spiritual, Believe, Heaven
Thomas Jefferson (1977). “The Portable Thomas Jefferson”, p.335, Penguin

If the obstacles of bigotry and priestcraft can be surmounted, we may hope that common sense will suffice to do everything else.

Thomas Jefferson
War, Common Sense, Drug
Thomas Jefferson, Brett F. Woods (2009). “Thomas Jefferson: Thoughts on War and Revolution : Annotated Correspondence”, p.247, Algora Publishing

What justice would there be to take this life? Justice, gentlemen? Why, I would just as soon put a hog in the electric chair as this.

Thomas Jefferson
Justice, Gentleman, Dying

It look like the lord just work for wite folks cause ever sens i wasn nothin but a litle boy i been on my on haulin water to the fiel on that ol water cart wit all them dime bukets an that dipper just hittin an old dorthy just trottin and trottin an me up their hittin her wit that rope.

Thomas Jefferson
Boys, Water, Dying

I don't want them to kill no hog . . . . I want a man to go to that chair, on his own two feet.

Thomas Jefferson
Men, Two, Feet

Planting is one of my great amusements, and even of those things which can only be for posterity, for a Septuagenary has no right to count on any thing but annuals.

Thomas Jefferson
Death, Dying, Amusement

It may be regarded as certain that not a foot of land will ever be taken from the Indians without their own consent.

Thomas Jefferson
Taken, Native American, Land
Thomas Jefferson (1829). “Memoir, correspondence, and miscellanies from the papers of T. Jefferson”, p.412

Now I will avow, that I then believed and now believe that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God; and that those principles of liberty are as unalterable as human nature and our terrestrial, mundane system.

Thomas Jefferson
Believe, Liberty, Principles
Thomas Jefferson (1861). “Correspondence”, p.152

The first object of human association [is] the full improvement of their condition.

Thomas Jefferson
Politics, Association, Firsts
Thomas Jefferson “Selected letters of Thomas Jefferson”, Lulu.com

It is a problem, not clear in my mind, that [a society without government, as among our Indians] is not the best. But I believe it to be inconsistent with any great degree of population.

Thomas Jefferson
Believe, Government, Mind
Thomas Jefferson (1977). “The Portable Thomas Jefferson”, p.327, Penguin

The excellence of every government is its adaptation to the state of those to be governed by it.

Thomas Jefferson
Government, Excellence, Politics
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.589

Every society has a right to fix the fundamental principles of its association, and to say to all individuals, that if they contemplate pursuits beyond the limits of these principles and involving dangers which the society chooses to avoid, they must go somewhere else for their exercise; that we want no citizens, and still less ephemeral and pseudo-citizens, on such terms. We may exclude them from our territory, as we do persons infected with disease.

Thomas Jefferson
Exercise, Somewhere Else, Principles
Thomas Jefferson (1829). “Memoirs, Correspondence, and Private Papers of Thomas Jefferson: Late President of the United States”, p.291

The provisions we have made [for our government] are such as please ourselves; they answer the substantial purposes of government and of justice, and other purposes than these should not be answered.

Thomas Jefferson
Government, Justice, Purpose

I do not believe war the most certain means of enforcing principles. Those peaceable coercions which are in the power of every nation, if undertaken in concert and in time of peace, are more likely to produce the desired effect.

Thomas Jefferson
Peace, War, Believe
Thomas Jefferson, Brett F. Woods (2009). “Thomas Jefferson: Thoughts on War and Revolution”, p.152, Algora Publishing

Where strictness of grammar does not weaken expression, it should be attended to. . . . But where, by small grammatical negligences, the energy of an idea is condensed, or a word stands for a sentence, I hold grammatical rigor in contempt.

Thomas Jefferson
Writing, Expression, Ideas
Thomas Jefferson (2010). “The Works of Thomas Jefferson: 1799-1803”, p.321, Cosimo, Inc.

My heart trembles when I reflect that God is just

Thomas Jefferson
God, Patriotic, Heart

Your own reason is the only oracle given to you by God.

Thomas Jefferson
Grace, Oracles, Reason
Thomas Jefferson (1977). “The Portable Thomas Jefferson”, p.335, Penguin

Every male citizen of the commonwealth, liable to taxes or to militia duty in any county, shall have a right to vote for representatives for that county to the legislature.

Thomas Jefferson
Voting, Males, Citizens
Thomas Jefferson (2010). “The Works of Thomas Jefferson: Correspondence 1793-1798”, p.159, Cosimo, Inc.

The elective franchise, if guarded as the ark of our safety, will peaceably dissipate all combinations to subvert a Constitution, dictated by the wisdom, and resting on the will of the people.

Thomas Jefferson
People, Safety, Voting
Thomas Jefferson (1955). “Political Writings: Representative Selections”

When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth the separate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

Thomas Jefferson
Respect, Nature, Law
Declaration of Independence (1776)

Reading, reflection and time have convinced me that the interests of society require the observation of those moral precepts only in which all religions agree.

Thomas Jefferson
Reading, Reflection, Religion
Thomas Jefferson, Joyce Appleby, Terence Ball (1999). “Jefferson: Political Writings”, p.281, Cambridge University Press