John Adams Quotations

Because power corrupts, society's demands for moral authority and character increase as the importance of the position increases.

Democracy... while it lasts is more bloody than either aristocracy or monarchy. Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There is never a democracy that did not commit suicide.

The Hebrews have done more to civilize men than any other nation. If I were an atheist, and believed blind eternal fate, I should still believe that fate had ordained the Jews to be the most essential instrument for civilizing the nations.

Liberty cannot be preserved without general knowledge among the people.

Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.

Power always thinks... that it is doing God's service when it is violating all his laws.

My country has contrived for me the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived or his imagination conceived.

I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy.

Great is the guilt of an unnecessary war.

Power always thinks it has a great soul and vast views beyond the comprehension of the weak.

Here is everything which can lay hold of the eye, ear and imagination - everything which can charm and bewitch the simple and ignorant. I wonder how Luther ever broke the spell.

I have accepted a seat in the House of Representatives, and thereby have consented to my own ruin, to your ruin, and to the ruin of our children. I give you this warning that you may prepare your mind for your fate.

If we do not lay out ourselves in the service of mankind whom should we serve?

Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.

Old minds are like old horses; you must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order.

The happiness of society is the end of government.

All the perplexities, confusion and distress in America arise, not from defects in their Constitution or Confederation, not from want of honor or virtue, so much as from the downright ignorance of the nature of coin, credit and circulation.

While all other sciences have advanced, that of government is at a standstill - little better understood, little better practiced now than three or four thousand years ago.

The fundamental law of the militia is, that it be created, directed and commanded by the laws, and ever for the support of the laws.

I must not write a word to you about politics, because you are a woman.

Abuse of words has been the great instrument of sophistry and chicanery, of party, faction, and division of society.

A government of laws, and not of men.

Liberty, according to my metaphysics is a self-determining power in an intellectual agent. It implies thought and choice and power.

Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.

There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty.

Posterity! You will never know how much it cost the present generation to preserve your freedom! I hope you will make a good use of it.

As much as I converse with sages and heroes, they have very little of my love and admiration. I long for rural and domestic scene, for the warbling of birds and the prattling of my children.

Let us tenderly and kindly cherish, therefore, the means of knowledge. Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write.

When people talk of the freedom of writing, speaking or thinking I cannot choose but laugh. No such thing ever existed. No such thing now exists; but I hope it will exist. But it must be hundreds of years after you and I shall write and speak no more.

The right of a nation to kill a tyrant in case of necessity can no more be doubted than to hang a robber, or kill a flea.

I always consider the settlement of America with reverence and wonder, as the opening of a grand scene and design in providence, for the illumination of the ignorant and the emancipation of the slavish part of mankind all over the earth.

A desire to be observed, considered, esteemed, praised, beloved, and admired by his fellows is one of the earliest as well as the keenest dispositions discovered in the heart of man.

I, poor creature, worn out with scribbling for my bread and my liberty, low in spirits and weak in health, must leave others to wear the laurels which I have sown, others to eat the bread which I have earned. A common case.

The Declaration of Independence I always considered as a theatrical show. Jefferson ran away with all the stage effect of that... and all the glory of it.

Property is surely a right of mankind as real as liberty.

In politics the middle way is none at all.

The essence of a free government consists in an effectual control of rivalries.

The furnace of affliction produces refinement, in states as well as individuals.

The point is made we're still fighting this battle. It's not as dynamic a battle as people being hosed down ... but it's still happening.

We still print out all our job tickets, even though it?s all online. Everybody needs print, from restaurants to the mechanic down the street.

We're not going to put someone in a position where it's going to be harmful of their performance this weekend, but at the same time the team will represent itself proudly.

Yesterday the greatest question was decided which ever was debated in America; and a greater perhaps never was, nor will be, decided among men. A resolution was passed without one dissenting colony, ''that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States.''

We've seen bobcats. We've seen what I call a mountain lion, down in town. And, last year, we caught 16 copperheads and two rattlesnakes.

This project shows others what is possible, and it is already helping to propel the green building revolution.

There are two educations. One should teach us how to make a living and the other how to live.

Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people.

Since the road has been changed, that's just let everything come off the park.

Mobs will never do to govern states or command armies

My fixed principle never to be the tool of any man, nor the partisan of any nation, would forever exclude me from the smiles and favors or courts

My country has, in its wisdom, contrived for me the most insignificant office (the Vice-Presidency) that ever the invention of man contrived or his imagination conceived

Permanent Protection for America's Resources 2000 is a bold initiative to protect our precious natural and cultural heritage and the quality of life for all Americans. As we approach the millennium we must pass this program as our generation's legacy for the future.

Posterity: you will never know how much it has cost my generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it.

Ontario is so far behind in newborn screening that this is a useful baby step, but there are significant gaps in this announcement,

I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty.

I have lived long enough, and had experience enough of the conduct of governments and people, nations and courts, to be convinced that gratitude, friendship, unsuspecting confidence, and all the amiable passions in human nature, are the most dangerou

From the time we became an independant nation, it was as much a law of nature that this would become our claim as that the Mississippi should flow to sea.

Fortunately I had a good partner. That was the only thing that saved me. This one taught me. My partner saved my life. From now on, I'll definitely be a lot more critical of who I ski with.

Had we known it was 9/11 money, we would not have borrowed it.

The people have a right, an indisputable, unalienable, indefeasible, divine right to that most dreaded and envied kind of knowledge - I mean of the character and conduct of their rulers

Here is everything which can lay hold of the eye, ear and imagination -- everything which can charm and bewitch the simple and ignorant. I wonder how Luther ever broke the spell.

He scored on a reverse and we put him on top to put the pressure on the other kid. He turned him and stuck him for the pin.

Keeping an army in America has been nothing but a public nuisance

Jobs and job training will be critical next year. Retraining and education will be key in order for us to be able to keep the companies we have and be able to attract new businesses.

Remember democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.

Tiffany really picked up her game in the second half of the season. She struggled with her shot early, but I kept telling her to shoot the ball because I know what a great player she is and I knew eventually she?d get hot.

We gave up 52.7 points per game over the first nine games, but lowered that to 47.1 over the last nine games. This team was just a real pleasure to coach. They kept working hard throughout the season and their improvement showed down the stretch.

The preservation of the means of knowledge among the lowest ranks is of more importance to the public than all the property of all the rich men in the country

Those who attend to small expenses are always rich

We were just going to do that test until the end of the month, but we are going to extend it through April. I went ahead and left a sign up here and I have little slips with the address on them.

I must study war and politics so that my children shall be free to study commerce, agriculture and other practicalities, so that their children can study painting, poetry and other fine things.

There is in the Congress a collection of the greatest men upon this continent in point of abilities, virtues, and fortunes

Here, every private person is authorized to arm himself, and on the strength of this authority, I do not deny the inhabitants had a right to arm themselves at that time, for their defense, not for offense...

We knew we had to get a presence on the Web or slowly die.

We would have chosen some other avenue. That money surely could have been used by people who needed it more than we did.

We aspired to build the most environmentally friendly office we could, so it feels terrific to have the Green Building Council award us their highest rating,

We are excited to expand our relationship with Lake Forest Hospital. This significant outsourcing contract is reflective of our leadership role in IT services for the healthcare industry and the confidence that healthcare organizations have in our solutions. We look forward to becoming a close, strategic IT partner with Lake Forest Hospital.

There is no such thing as human wisdom; all is the providence of God

This was the strongest earthquake in the last decade in this area.

We are going to check whether signing up people automatically will help stem the denial and apathy about flood risk which can discourage people from registering for flood warnings.

We went out flat. We underachieved, our energy was low and we underestimated our opponent.

Books that cannot bear examination, certainly ought not to be established as divine inspiration by penal laws

Birth and wealth together have prevailed over virtue and talent in all ages

Courage and perseverance have a magic talisman, before which difficulties and obstacles vanish into air.

Duncan's counsel simply cannot be prepared to try three homicide cases in such a short period of time.

There's no outcome-based goal (tonight). We're going to wrestle tough, have some fun and relish the fact that we made it as a team. I'm not too worried about the score.

There's just a real style to these boats.

I've seen a lot of convention centers. But this building is truly special: The feel. The light. The vibe is terrific.

These bickerings of opposite parties, and their mutual reproaches their declamations, their sing-song, their triumphs and defiance, their dismal and prophecies, are all delusion

The national defense is one of the cardinal duties of a statesman

A democracy is as really a republic as on oak a tree, or a temple a building

The old boys are really looking forward to this. Some of them have gone out and bought new berets or blazers just for the occasion, so they'll look their best.

The old boys are really looking forward to this,

The most important gap is that a whole host of disorders, called blood disorders, have been forgotten and omitted.

Now, my friend, can prophecies or miracles convince you or me that infinite benevolence, wisdom, and power, created, and preserves for a time innumerable millions, to make them miserable forever, for his own glory? Wretch! What is his glory? Is he

Back in the 1950s and 1960s, everybody had a hobby. It takes a lot of time. I've been teaching 4-H kids how to build planes for 30 years.

That's what they admire most about the horse, his durability.

Think of your forefathers! Think of your posterity.

This is an awesome subject that can't be dealt with in a rational way. It's about flesh-and-blood people screaming at each other and loving one another.

Always stand on principle even if you stand alone.

They really need something like that. A lot of times it probably wouldn't help, especially if you got an explosion, but it might help the survivors. It would be a good idea.