It will be said that great societies cannot exist without government.

Public employment contributes neither to advantage nor happiness. It is but honorable exile from one's family and affairs.

I leave the world and its affairs to the young and energetic, and resign myself to their care, of whom I have endeavored to take care when young.

The people are the ultimate guardians of their own liberties. In every government on earth is some trace of human weakness, some germ of corruption and degeneracy . . . Every government degenerates when trusted to the rulers of the people alone.

The great object of my fear is the federal judiciary. That body, like gravity, ever acting, with noiseless foot, and unalarming advance, gaining ground step by step, and holding what it gains, is ingulfing insidiously the special governments into the jaws of that which feeds them.

The art of printing secures us against the retrogradation of reason and information.

Malice will always find bad motives for good actions. - Shall we therefore never do good?