What I admire in Columbus is not his having discovered a new world but his having gone to search for it on the faith of an opinion.

The whole mass of humanity . . . marches constantly, though slowly, toward greater perfection.

All money is essentially merchandize.

Gold and silver are constituted, by the nature of things, money, and universal money, independent of all convention, and of all laws.

The expenses of government, having for their object the interest of all, should be borne by everyone, and the more a man enjoys the advantages of society, the more he ought to hold himself honored in contributing to those expenses.

What I admire in Columbus is not his having discovered a new world but his having gone to search for it on the faith of an opinion.

All is more or less proper to serve as a common measure, in proportion as it is more or less in general use, of a more similar quality, and more easy to be divided into aliquot parts. All is more or less applicable for the purpose of a general pledge of exchange, in proportion as it is less susceptible of decay or alteration in quantity or quality.