Let but the public mind become once thoroughly corrupt, and all attempts to secure property, liberty or life, by mere force of laws written on parchment, will be as vain as to put up printed notices in an orchard to keep off the canker-worms.

On entering this world our starting-point is ignorance. None, however, but idiots remain there.

Education must bring the practice as nearly as possible to the theory. As the children now are, so will the sovereigns soon be.

Affectation hides three times as many virtues as charity does sins.

The object of punishment is, prevention from evil; it never can be made impulsive to good.

As an innovation... the establishment of Free Schools was the boldest ever promulgated, since the commencement of the Christian era... Time has ratified its soundness. Two centuries proclaim it to be as wise as it was courageous, as beneficient as it was disinterested. It was one of those grand mental and moral experiments... The sincerity of our gratitude must be tested by our efforts to perpetuate and improve what they established. The gratitude of the lips only is an unholy offering.

Republics, one after another . . . have perished from a want of intelligence and virtue in the masses of the people. . . .