I see no comfort in outliving one's friends, and remaining a mere monument of the times which are past.

The multiplication of public offices, increase of expense beyond income, growth and entailment of a public debt are indications soliciting the employment of the pruning knife.

It is time enough, for the rightful purposes of civil government, for its officers to interfere [in the propagation of religious teachings] when principles break out into overt acts against peace and good order.

The course of history shows that as a government grows, liberty decreases.

Rebellion to tyranny is obedience to God.

We are not immortal ourselves, my friend; how can we expect our enjoyments to be so? We have no rose without its thorn; no pleasure without alloy. It is the law of our existence; and we must acquiesce.

I know of no safe depository of the ultimate power of the society but the people themselves.