Virtue is necessary to a republic.

Politics are a smooth file, which cuts gradually, and attains its end by slow progression.

With truths of a certain kind, it is not enough to make them appear convincing: one must also make them felt. Of such kind are moral truths.

Slowness is frequently the cause of much greater slowness.

Wonderful maxim: not to talk of things any more after they are done.

There is still another inconvenieney in conquests made by democracies; their government is ever odious to the conquered states. It is apparently monarchical, but in reality it is more oppressive than monarchy, as the experience of all ages and countries evinces.

People here argue about religion interminably, but it appears that they are competing at the same time to see who can be the least devout.