The opinions of men are not the object of civil government, nor under its jurisdiction; that to suffer the civil magistrate to intrude his powers into the field of opinion and to restrain the profession or propagation of principles on supposition of their ill tendency is a dangerous falacy, which at once destroys all religious liberty...

Paper money is liable to be abused, has been, is, and forever will be abused, in every country in which it is permitted.

Whiskey claims to itself alone the exclusive office of sot-making.

I never before knew the full value of trees. Under them I breakfast, dine, write, read and receive my company.

Commerce with all nations, alliance with none, should be our motto.

I have never been able to conceive how any rational being could propose happiness to himself from the exercise of power over others... An honest man can feel no pleasure in the exercise of power over his fellow citizens.... Power is not alluring to pure minds and is not with them the primary principle of contest.

No experiment can be more interesting than that we are now trying, and which we trust will end in establishing the fact, that man may be governed by reason and truth.