The tax which will be paid for the purpose of education is not more than the thousandth part of what will be paid to kings, priests and nobles who will rise up among us if we leave the people in ignorance

We see the wisdom of Solon's remark, that no more good must be attempted than the nation can bear.

There is no King, who, with sufficient force, is not always ready to make himself absolute.

The purpose of government is to enable the people of a nation to live in safety and happiness. Government exists for the interests of the governed, not for the governors.

I have ever deemed it fundamental for the United States never to take active part in the quarrels of Europe.... They are nations of eternal war.

Laws that forbid the carrying of arms disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes.

The past stays put, I just keep moving farther away from it.