John Adams

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

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

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

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

In politics the middle way is none at all.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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.

A government of laws, and not of men.

The happiness of society is the end of government.

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.

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.