Man once surrendering his reason, has no remaining guard against absurdities the most monstrous, and like a ship without rudder, is the sport of every wind. With such persons, gullibility, which they call faith, takes the helm from the hand of reason, and the mind becomes a wreck.

I have learnt to expect that it will rarely fall to the lot of imperfect man to retire from this station with the reputation and the favor which bring him into it.

An honest heart being the first blessing, a knowing head is the second.

I sincerely join you in abjuring all political connection with every foreign power; and tho I cordially wish well to the progress of liberty in all nations, and would forever give it the weight of our countenance, yet they are not to be touched without contamination from their other bad principles. Commerce with all nations, alliance with none, should be our motto.

I am not among those who fear the people. They, and not the rich, are our dependence for continued freedom.

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

The patient, treated on the fashionable theory, sometimes gets well in spite of the medicine.