Abuse of words has been the great instrument of sophistry and chicanery, of party, faction, and division of society.
Avowed resistance by arms, against usurpation and lawless violence, is not rebellion by the law of God or the land.
Be not intimidated…nor suffer yourselves to be wheedled out of your liberties by any pretense of politeness, delicacy, or decency. These, as they are often used, are but three different names for hypocrisy, chicanery, and cowardice.
But a constitution of government once changed from freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever.
Children should be educated and instructed in the principles of freedom.
Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.
I agree with you that in politics the middle way is none at all.
I have attended public worship in all countries and with all sects and believe them all much better than no religion, though I have not thought myself obliged to believe all I heard.
It is folly to anticipate evils, and madness to create imaginary ones.
it is more importance to the community, that innocence be protected, than it is, that guilt be punished.
It is religion and morality alone, which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand.
Let the pulpit resound with the doctrines and sentiments of religious liberty.
Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write.
Nip the shoots of arbitrary power in the bud, is the only maxim which can ever preserve the liberties of any people.
No man who ever held the office of president would congratulate a friend on obtaining it.
Posterity!... I hope you will make a good use of [your freedom]. If you do not, I shall repent in Heaven, that I ever took half the pains to preserve it.
Property must be secured, or liberty cannot exist.
The Christian religion is, above all the religions that ever prevailed or existed in ancient or modern times, the religion of wisdom, virtue, equity, and humanity.
The jaws of power are always open to devour...the freedom of thinking, speaking, and writing.
The moment the idea is admitted into society, that property is not as sacred as the law of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence.
The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty.
The right of a nation to kill a tyrant, in cases of necessity, can no more be doubted, than to hang a robber, or kill a flea. But killing one tyrant only makes way for worse, unless the people have sense, spirit, and honesty enough to establish and support a constitution guarded at all points against the tyranny of the one, the few, and the many.
There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other. This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution.
There is something very unnatural and odious in a government a thousand leagues off.
Virtue is not always amiable.
We ought to consider what is the end of government, before we determine which is the best form.
Without religion this world would be something not fit to be mentioned in polite company, I mean Hell.