John Adams
Quotes from John Adams that I find of interest.
Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.
Arms in the hands of citizens may be used at individual discretion… in private self-defense.
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.
Great is the guilt of an unnecessary war.
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.
I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy.
Property is surely a right of mankind as real as liberty.
Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.
The happiness of society is the end of government.
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.
There are two educations. One should teach us how to make a living and the other how to live.
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.
Richard :: May.27.2009 :: Personal Thoughts :: No Comments »