Thomas Jefferson

I have never been able to conceive how any rational being could propose happiness to himself from the exercise of power over others.

If a due participation of office is a matter of right how are vacancies to be obtained? Those by death are few by resignation none.

Whenever a man has cast a longing eye on office a rottenness begins in his conduct.

The people are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty.

If I could not go to Heaven but with a party I would not go there at all.

It is rare that the public sentiment decides immorally or unwisely and the individual who differs from it ought to distrust and examine well his own opinion.

No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time who never loses any.

If a due participation of office is a matter of right how are vacancies to be obtained? Those by death are few: by resignation none.

When we see ourselves in a situation which must be endured and gone through it is best to make up our minds to meet it with firmness and accommodate everything to it in the best way practical. This lessons the evil while fretting and fuming only serve to increase your own torments.

I do not take a single newspaper nor read one a month and I feel myself infinitely the happier for it.

Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without government I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.

The sun - my almighty physician.

I never did or countenanced in public life a single act inconsistent with the strictest good faith having never believed there was one code of morality for a public and another for a private man.

It is my principle that the will of the majority should always prevail.

I'm a great believer in luck and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.

The God who gave us life gave us liberty at the same time.

The small landholders are the most precious part of a state.

The execution of the laws is more important than the making of them.