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Thomas Jefferson Quotes - Page 68

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Honesty, disinterestedness and good nature are indispensable to procure the esteem and confidence of those with whom we live, and on whose esteem our happiness depends.

Honesty, disinterestedness and good nature are indispensable to procure the esteem and confidence of those with whom we live, and on whose esteem our happiness depends.

Thomas Jefferson
Confidence, Honesty, Good Nature
Thomas Jefferson (2004). “Light and Liberty: Reflections on the Pursuit of Happiness”, p.7, Modern Library

My affections were first for my own country, then, generally, for all mankind

Thomas Jefferson
Country, Patriotism, Firsts
Thomas Jefferson, Brett F. Woods (2009). “Thomas Jefferson: Thoughts on War and Revolution”, p.244, Algora Publishing

Health is the requisite after morality

Thomas Jefferson
Health, Morality

Never put off your massage until tomorrow if you can get it today.

Thomas Jefferson
Today, Massage, Tomorrow

We should talk over the lessons of the day, or lose them in Music, Chess, or the merriments of our family companions.

Thomas Jefferson
Lessons, Chess, Should
Thomas Jefferson, Joyce Appleby, Terence Ball (1999). “Jefferson: Political Writings”, p.235, Cambridge University Press

Always take hold of things by the smooth handle grateful that they are not worse rather than the rough handle, bitter that they are not better.

Thomas Jefferson
Gratitude, Grateful, Bitter

We might have been a free and great people together.

Thomas Jefferson
People, History, Together
Thomas Jefferson (2010). “The Works of Thomas Jefferson: Correspondence 1771 - 1779, the Summary View, and the Declaration of Independence”, p.215, Cosimo, Inc.

There is on the globe one single spot, the possessor of which is our natural and habitual enemy. It is New Orleans, through which the produce of three-eighths of our territory must pass to market, and from its fertility it will ere long yield more than half of our whole produce and contain more than half our inhabitants.

Thomas Jefferson
Yield, New Orleans, History
Thomas Jefferson (1829). “Memoir, correspondence, and miscellanies from the papers of T. Jefferson”, p.492

SIR,-Your letter of February the 18th came to hand on the 1st instant; and the request of the history of my physical habits would have puzzled me not a little, had it not been for the model with which you accompanied it, of Doctor Rush's answer to a similar inquiry. I live so much like other people, that I might refer to ordinary life as a history of my own. Like my friend the Doctor, I have lived temperately, eating very little animal food, and that not as an aliment, so much as a condiment for the vegetables, which constitute my principle diet.

Thomas Jefferson
Animal, Doctors, Hands
Thomas Jefferson (1829). “Memoirs, 4: Correspondence and Private Papers”, p.321

The issue for patents for new discovers has given a spring to invention beyond my conception.

Thomas Jefferson
Spring, Issues, Patents

The purse of the people is the real seat of sensibility. Let it be drawn upon largely, and they will then listen to truths which could not excite them through any other organ.

Thomas Jefferson
Real, People, Purses

The interests of a nation, when well understood, will be found to coincide with their moral duties.

Thomas Jefferson
Moral, Found, Duty
Thomas Jefferson (2010). “The Works of Thomas Jefferson: Correspondence 1792-1793”, p.160, Cosimo, Inc.

We act not for ourselves but for the whole human race. The event of our experiment is to show whether man can be trusted with self - government.

Thomas Jefferson
Men, Race, Self
Thomas Jefferson (1900). “The Life and Writings of ...”

Defend our liberties and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought hither out of many kindred and tongues.

Thomas Jefferson
Fashion, People, Liberty

I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions, but laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind.

Thomas Jefferson
Law, Hands, Mind
Thomas Jefferson (1998). “Thomas Jefferson: His Words and Vision”, p.18, Peter Pauper Press, Inc.

Never yet could I find that a black had uttered a thought above the level of plain narration; never saw even an elemental trait of painting or sculpture.

Thomas Jefferson
Black, Sculpture, Levels

On the subject of the history of the American Revolution, you ask who shall write it? Who can write it? And who will ever be able to write it? Nobody, except merely its external facts... all its councils, designs and discussions having been conducted by Congress [behind] closed doors - and no members, as far as I know, having even made notes of them. These, which are the life and soul of history, must forever be unknown.

Thomas Jefferson
Writing, Doors, Forever

It is better to tolerate the rare instance of a parent refusing to let his child be educated, than to shock the common feelings and ideas by forcible asportation and education of the infant against the will of the father.

Thomas Jefferson
Children, Freedom, Father
Thomas Jefferson, Henry Augustine Washington (1854). “The Writings of Thomas Jefferson: Miscellaneous: 4. Parliamentary manual; 5. The anas; 6. Miscellaneous papers”, p.493

During the late war I had an infallible rule for deciding what Great Britain would do on every occasion. It was, to consider what they ought to do, and to take the reverse of that as what they would assuredly do, and I can say with truth that I was never deceived.

Thomas Jefferson
War, Britain, Late
Thomas Jefferson (2006). “The Quotable Jefferson”

The sickly, weakly, timid man fears the people, and is a Tory by nature. The healthy, strong and bold cherishes them, and is formed a Whig by nature.

Thomas Jefferson
Strong, Men, People
Thomas Jefferson, Brett F. Woods (2009). “Thomas Jefferson: Thoughts on War and Revolution : Annotated Correspondence”, p.298, Algora Publishing

He [Washington] has often declared to me that he considered our new constitution as an experiment on the practicability of republican government, and with what dose of liberty man could be trusted for his own good; that he was determined the experiment should have a fair trial, and would lose the last drop of his blood in support of it. And these declarations he repeated to me the oftener and the more pointedly.

Thomas Jefferson
Men, Blood, Should Have
Thomas Jefferson (1829). “Memoir, Correspondence, and Miscellanies: From the Papers of Thomas Jefferson”, p.237

From the circumstances of my position, I was often thrown into the society of horse-racers, card-players, fox-hunters, scientific and professional men, and of dignified men; and many a time have I asked myself, in the enthusiastic moment of the death of a fox, the victory of a favorite horse, the issue of a question eloquently argued at the bar, or in the great council of the nation, well, which of these kinds of reputation should I prefer? That of a horse-jockey, a fox-hunter, an orator, or the honest advocate of my country's rights?

Thomas Jefferson
Country, Horse, Player
Thomas Jefferson (1853). “The writings of Thomas Jefferson: being his autobiography, correspondence, reports, messages, addresses, and other writings, official and private”, p.389

In truth, politeness is artificial good humor, it covers the natural want of it, and ends by rendering habitual a substitute nearly equivalent to the real virtue. It is the practice of sacrificing to those whom we meet in society, all the little inconveniences and preferences which will gratify them, and deprive us of nothing worth a moment's consideration; it is the giving a pleasing and flattering turn to our expressions, which will conciliate others, and make them pleased with us as well as themselves. How cheap a price for the good will of another!

Thomas Jefferson
Real, Sacrifice, Expression

Had not a conviction of the danger to which an unlimited occupation of the executive chair would expose the republican Constitution of our Government, made it conscientiously a duty to retire when I did, the fear of becoming a dotard and of being insensible of it, would of itself have resisted all solicitations to remain.

Thomas Jefferson
Government, Occupation, Becoming
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.4

There is a fulness of time when men should go, and not occupy too long the ground to which others have a right to advance.

Thomas Jefferson
Men, Long, Should
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.4