Political Quotes - Page 203

They took care to represent government as a thing made up of mysteries, which only themselves understood, and they hid from the understanding of the nation, the only thing that was beneficial to know, namely, that government is nothing more than a national association acting on the principles of society.

It is unpleasant to see character throw itself away.

It is from the power of taxation being in the hands of those who can throw so great a part of it from their own shoulders, that it has raged without a check.

"Government," says Swift, "is a plain thing, and fitted to the capacity of many heads."

The representative system of government is calculated to produce the wisest laws, by collecting wisdom where it can be found.

Change of ministers amounts to nothing. One goes out, another comes in, and still the same measures, vices, and extravagances are pursued. It signifies not who is minister. The defect lies in the system. The foundation and superstructure of the government is bad. Prop it as you please, it continually sinks and ever will.

It is painful to behold a man employing his talents to corrupt himself.

The science of political economy is essentially practical, and applicable to the common business of human life. There are few branches of human knowledge where false views may do more harm, or just views more good.

The wisdom of our ages and the blood of our heroes has been devoted to the attainment of trial by jury. It should be the creed of our political faith.

I hope the terms of Excellency, Honor, Worship, Esquire, forever disappear from among us... I wish that of Mr. would follow them.

It is my disposition to maintain peace until its condition shall be made less tolerable than that of war itself.

The purpose of establishing different houses of legislation is to introduce the influence of different interests or different principles.

No man will ever carry out of the Presidency the reputation which carried him into it.

The tender breasts of ladies were not formed for political convulsion.

The Governor would serve a five-year term and be ineligible for reelection.

No person shall be capable of being a delegate for more than three years in any term of six.

The information of the people at large can alone make them the safe as they are the sole depositary of our political and religious freedom.

It has been a source of great pain to me to have met with so many among [my] opponents who had not the liberality to distinguish between political and social opposition; who transferred at once to the person, the hatred they bore to his political opinions.

We often repent of what we have said, but never, never, of that which we have not.

My principles, and those always received by the republicans, do not admit to removing any person from office merely for a difference of political opinion. Malversations in office, and the exerting of official influence to control the freedom of election are good causes for removal.

One insult pocketed soon produces another.

The ordinary affairs of a nation offer little difficulty to a person of any experience.

Reason and free inquiry are the only effectual agents against error... They are the natural enemies of error, and of error only... If [free enquiry] be restrained now, the present corruptions will be protected, and new ones encouraged.

I look in a right of property - on the right of individuals, to have and to own, for their own separate and selfish use and enjoyments, the produce of their own industry, with power freely to dispose of the whole of that in the manner most agreeable to themselves, as essential to the welfare and even to the continued existence of society.

Corporations are may lesser commonwealths in the bowels of a greater, like worms in the entrails of a natural man.