I am myself an empiric in natural philosophy, suffering my faith to go no further than my facts. I am pleased, however, to see the efforts of hypothetical speculation, because by the collisions of different hypotheses, truth may be elicited and science advanced in the end.

Taxation is, in fact, the most difficult function of government and that against which their citizens are most apt to be refractory.

No provision in our Constitution ought to be dearer to man than that which protects the rights of conscience against the enterprises of the civil authority.

Be a listener only, keep within yourself, and endeavor to establish with yourself the habit of silence, especially in politics.

No one has a right to obstruct another exercising his faculties innocently for the relief of sensibilities made a part of his nature.

Games played with the ball, and others of that nature, are too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind.

I wish it were possible to obtain a single amendment to our Constitution. I would be willing to depend on that alone for the reduction of the administration of our government; I mean an additional article taking from the Federal Government the power of borrowing.