The Christian god is a being of terrific character - cruel, vindictive, capricious and unjust.

Should things go wrong at any time, the people will set them to rights by the peaceable exercise of their elective rights.

I have never been able to conceive how any rational being could propose happiness to himself from the exercise of power over others.

The system of banking have[for]ever reprobated. I contemplate it as a blot left in all our Constitutions, which, if not covered, will end in their destruction, which is already hit by the gamblers in corruption, and is sweeping away in its progress the fortunes and morals of our citizens.

My affections were first for my own country, then, generally, for all mankind

Every honest man will suppose honest acts to flow from honest principles, and the rogues may rail without intermission.

He wove those three threads into a talk ranging from annually spending a week at Halloween as a child collecting candy to giving candy to hundreds of children at Halloween as an adult; from childhood assistance he received from adults, particularly after his parents divorced, to saying I challenge you to be a caring adult in someone's life ... Great times call forth great leaders.