A republic will avoid war unless the avoidance might create conditions that are worse than warfare itself. Sometimes, the dispositions of those who choose to make themselves our enemies leaves us no choice.

The happiest moments my heart knows are those in which it is pouring forth its affections to a few esteemed characters.

Ignorance and bigotry, like other insanities, are incapable of self-government.

The evils which of necessity encompass the life of man are sufficiently numerous. Why should we add to them by voluntarily distressing and destroying one another? Peace, brothers, is better than war. In a long and bloody war, we lose many friends, and gain nothing. Let us then live in peace and friendship together, doing to each other all the good we can.

Those are governed best who are governed least.

There is a natural aristocracy among men. The grounds of this are virtue and talents.

The people are not always well-informed, but is better that they have misconceptions that make them restless than that they be lethargic-for lethargy in the people means death for republics.