The evils which of necessity encompass the life of man are sufficiently numerous. Why should we add to them by voluntarily distressing and destroying one another? Peace, brothers, is better than war. In a long and bloody war, we lose many friends, and gain nothing. Let us then live in peace and friendship together, doing to each other all the good we can.

Those who wish to be ignorant and free, believe in something that never was and never shall be.

Above all things, lose no occasion of exercising your dispositions to be grateful, to be generous, to be charitable, to be humane, to be true, just, firm, orderly, courageous, etc. Consider every act of this kind as an exercise which will strengthen your moral faculties and increase your worth.

The dead should not rule the living

It is as useless to argue with those who have renounced the use of reason as to administer medication to the dead.

The sun has not caught me in bed in fifty years.

The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.