I enter on the trust to which I have been called by the suffrages of my fellow-citizens with my fervent prayers to the Almighty that He will be graciously pleased to continue to us that protection which He has already so conspicuously displayed in our favor.

The great increase of our population throughout the Union will alone produce an important effect, and in no quarter will it be so sensibly felt as in those in contemplation.

In a representative republic, the education of our children must be of the utmost importance!

The best form of government is that which is most likely to prevent the greatest sum of evil.

The emigrants although of different parties and different religious sects all flew from persecution in pursuit of liberty.

Of the liberty of conscience in matters of religious faith, of speech and of the press; of the trial by jury of the vicinage in civil and criminal cases; of the benefit of the writ of habeas corpus; of the right to keep and bear arms.... If these rights are well defined, and secured against encroachment, it is impossible that government should ever degenerate into tyranny.

There is every reason to believe that our system will soon attain the highest degree of perfection of which human institutions are capable.