Economy is a distributive virtue, and consists not in saving but selection. Parsimony requires no providence, no sagacity, no powers of combination, no comparison, no judgment.

The effect of liberty to individuals is that they may do what they please: we ought to see what it will please them to do, before we risk congratulations.

Those who quit their proper character to assume what does not belong to them are, for the greater part, ignorant both of the character they leave and of the character they assume.

Nothing turns out to be so oppressive and unjust as a feeble government.

The moment that government appears at market, the principles of the market will be subverted.

Prudence is not only the first in rank of the virtues political and moral, but she is the director and regulator, the standard of them all.

The public interest requires doing today those things that men of intelligence and good will would wish, five or ten years hence, had been done.