Men are qualified for civil liberty in exact proportion to their disposition to put moral chains upon their own appetites.

There is but one law for all, namely that law which governs all law, the law of our Creator, the law of humanity, justice, equity - the law of nature and of nations.

The moment you abate anything from the full rights of men to each govern himself, and suffer any artificial positive limitation upon those rights, from that moment the whole organization of government becomes a consideration of convenience.

Corrupt influence is itself the perennial spring of all prodigality, and of all disorder; it loads us more than millions of debt; takes away vigor from our arms, wisdom from our councils, and every shadow of authority and credit from the most venerable parts of our constitution.

Tyrants seldom want pretexts.

When any work seems to have required immense force and labor to effect it, the idea is grand.

Wars are just to those to whom they are necessary.