Many men can no more be kept straight by spiritual motives than we can live without policemen.

Piety sometimes gives birth to scruples, and faith to superstition, when they are not directed by wisdom and knowledge.

Great men are almost always bad men.

Before God, there is neither Greek nor barbarian, neither rich nor poor, and the slave is as good as his master, for by birth all men are free; they are citizens of the universal commonwealth which embraces all the world, brethren of one family, and children of God.

The form of government and the condition of society must always correspond. Social equality is therefore a postulate of pure democracy.

Self-preservation and self-denial: the basis of all political economy.

Federalism is the best curb on democracy. [It] assigns limited powers to the central government. Thereby all power is limited. It excludes absolute power of the majority.