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Thomas Jefferson Quotes - Page 72

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Circumstances sometimes require, that rights the most unquestionable should be advanced with delicacy.

Circumstances sometimes require, that rights the most unquestionable should be advanced with delicacy.

Thomas Jefferson
Rights, Delicacy, Sometimes
Thomas Jefferson (1829). “Memoir, correspondence, and miscellanies from the papers of T. Jefferson”, p.117

It should be remembered, as an axiom of eternal truth in politics, that whatever power in any government is independent, is absolute also.

Thomas Jefferson
Independent, Government, Should
Thomas Jefferson, Joyce Appleby, Terence Ball (1999). “Jefferson: Political Writings”, p.379, Cambridge University Press

The office of reformer of the superstitions of a nation is ever dangerous.

Thomas Jefferson
Faith Religion, Office, Superstitions
Thomas Jefferson (1854). “The Writings of Thomas Jefferson: Correspondence, contin. Reports and opinions while Secretary of State”, p.167

I like the power given the Legislature to levy taxes, and for that reason solely approve of the greater house being chosen by the people directly.

Thomas Jefferson
People, House, Reason
Thomas Jefferson (1977). “The Portable Thomas Jefferson”, p.337, Penguin

My religious reading has long been confined to the moral branch of religion, which is the same in all religions; while in that branch which consists of dogmas, all differ[.

Thomas Jefferson
Religious, Reading, Long
Thomas Jefferson (1854). “The Writings of Thomas Jefferson”, p.416

Nothing was or is farther from my intentions, than to enlist myself as the champion of a fixed opinion, where I have only expressed doubt.

Thomas Jefferson
Champion, Doubt, Opinion
Thomas Jefferson, Henry Augustine Washington (1859). “The Writings of Thomas Jefferson: Correspondence”, p.476

No body wishes more than I do to see such proofs as you exhibit, that nature has given to our black brethren, talents equal to those of the other colors of men, and that the appearance of a want of them is owing merely to the degraded condition of their existence, both in Africa & America.

Thomas Jefferson
Men, Color, America
Thomas Jefferson, Jerry Holmes (2002). “Thomas Jefferson: A Chronology of His Thoughts”, p.128, Rowman & Littlefield

Louisiana, as ceded by France to the United States, is made a part of the United States; its white inhabitants shall be citizens, and stand, as to their rights and obligations, on the same footing with other citizens of the United States, in analogous situations.

Thomas Jefferson
White, Rights, France
Thomas Jefferson (1854). “The writings of Thomas Jefferson: being his autobiography, correspondence, reports, messages, addresses, and other writings, official and private”, p.503

We generally learn languages for the benefit of reading the books written in them

Thomas Jefferson
Book, Reading, Benefits
Thomas Jefferson (1861). “Correspondence. Reports and opinions while secretarry of state”, p.399

To draw around the whole nation the strength of the General Government as a barrier against foreign foes... is [one of the] functions of the General Government on which [our citizens] have a right to call.

Thomas Jefferson
Government, Citizens, Function
Letter to Amos Marsh, November 20, 1801.

I am ever unwilling that [peace] should be disturbed as long as the rights and interests of the nations can be preserved. But whensoever hostile aggressions on these require a resort to war, we must meet our duty and convince the world that we are just friends and brave enemies.

Thomas Jefferson
War, Rights, Long
Thomas Jefferson, Brett F. Woods (2009). “Thomas Jefferson: Thoughts on War and Revolution : Annotated Correspondence”, p.205, Algora Publishing

By nature's law, man is at peace with man till some aggression is committed, which, by the same law, authorizes one to destroy another as his enemy.

Thomas Jefferson
Men, Law, Enemy
Thomas Jefferson (1830). “Memoir, Correspondence, and Miscellanies, from the Papers of Thomas Jefferson”, p.254

It is an essential attribute of the jurisdiction of every country to preserve peace, to punish acts in breach of it, and to restore property taken by force within its limits.

Thomas Jefferson
Country, Taken, Limits
Thomas Jefferson (1829). “Memoirs, correspondence and private papers of Thomas Jefferson, ed. by T.J. Randolph”, p.279

The introduction of so powerful an agent as steam [to a carriage on wheels] will make a great change in the situation of man.

Thomas Jefferson
Powerful, Men, Wheels

God forbid we should ever be twenty years without such a rebellion.

Thomas Jefferson
Years, Second Amendment, Twenties
Thomas Jefferson (1861). “Correspondence”, p.318

Public offices were not made for private convenience.

Thomas Jefferson
Office, Made, Convenience

History, I believe, furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government.

Thomas Jefferson
Religious, Believe, Government
Thomas Jefferson, Joyce Appleby, Terence Ball (1999). “Jefferson: Political Writings”, p.193, Cambridge University Press

Educate and inform the whole mass of the people.

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

Don't spend your money till you have it.

Thomas Jefferson
Life, Success, Success In Life

A community of small farmers... land property owners, will be the only assurance that the freedom our republic offers will be guaranteed to each and every citizen.

Thomas Jefferson
Wisdom, Land, Community

I rejoice when I hear of young men of virtue and talents, worthy to receive and likely to preserve the splendid inheritance of self- government, which we have acquired and shaped for them.

Thomas Jefferson
Men, Self, Inheritance
Thomas Jefferson, Joyce Appleby, Terence Ball (1999). “Jefferson: Political Writings”, p.271, Cambridge University Press

A man has a right to use a saw, an axe, a plane, separately; may he not combine their uses on the same piece of wood? He has a right to use his knife to cut his meat, a fork to hold it; may a patentee take from him the right to combine their use on the same subject? Such a law, instead of enlarging our conveniences, as was intended, would most fearfully abridge them, and crowd us by monopolies out of the use of the things we have.

Thomas Jefferson
Cutting, Men, Knives
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.298

A republic will avoid war unless the avoidance might create conditions that are worse than warfare itself. Sometimes, the dispositions of those who choose to make themselves our enemies leaves us no choice.

Thomas Jefferson
War, Choices, Enemy

Error is to be pitied and pardoned: it is the weakness of human nature. But vice is a foul blemish, not pardonable in any character.

Thomas Jefferson
Character, Errors, Weakness
Thomas Jefferson (1950). “The papers of Thomas Jefferson”

For St. Paul only says that it is better to be married than to burn. Now I presume that if that apostle had known that providence would at an after day be so kind to any particular set of people as to furnish them with other means of extinguishing their fire than those of matrimony, he would have earnestly recmmended them to their practice.

Thomas Jefferson
Mean, Fire, Practice
Thomas Jefferson, Lyman Henry Butterfield, Charles T. Cullen (1950). “The Papers of Thomas Jefferson: 1760-1776”