Maybe the author of the Declaration of Independence knew something about … independence?
—-
"Sometimes it is said that man cannot be trusted with the government of himself. Can he, then, be trusted with the government of others? Or have we found angels in the form of kings to govern him? Let history answer this question." -- Thomas Jefferson: 1st Inaugural, 1801
"Were we directed from Washington when to sow, and when to reap, we should soon want bread." ~ Thomas Jefferson
"Nothing can now be believed which is seen in a newspaper. Truth itself becomes suspicious by being put into that polluted vehicle. The real extent of this state of misinformation is known only to those who are in situations to confront facts within their knowledge with the lies of the day." ~ Thomas Jefferson
"When all government .. shall be drawn to Washington .. it will .. become as venal and oppressive as the government from which we separated." ~ Thomas Jefferson
—
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." ~ Thomas Jefferson
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." ~ Thomas Jefferson
"Was the government to prescribe to us our medicine and diet, our bodies would be in such keeping as our souls are now." ~ Thomas Jefferson Notes on the State of Virginia 1787
"The idea is quite unfounded that on entering into society we give up any natural right." ~ Thomas Jefferson – to Francis Gilmer, 1816
—
"A free people [claim] their rights as derived from the laws of nature, and not as the gift of their chief magistrate." ~ Thomas Jefferson
"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them." ~ Thomas Jefferson
"It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world." ~ Thomas Jefferson
"'To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical." ~ Thomas Jefferson
—
"There is a natural aristocracy among men. The grounds of this are virtue and talents." ~ Thomas Jefferson
"The mother principle [is] that 'governments are republican only in proportion as they embody the will of their people, and execute it.'" --Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Kercheval, 1816
"I think myself that we have more machinery of government than is necessary, too many parasites living on the labor of the industrious." -- Thomas Jefferson [Letter to William Ludlow 6 September 1824]
"Congress has not unlimited powers to provide for the general welfare, but only those specifically enumerated." ~ Thomas Jefferson, 1798
—
"What country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance. Let them take arms." ~ Thomas Jefferson [to James Madison, Dec. 20, 1787, in Papers of Jefferson, ed. Boyd et al.]
—
And a bonus from James Madison, the author of the Constitution on why the key design principal was the idea of checks and balances on power:
"Liberty may be endangered by the abuse of liberty, but also by the abuse of power ... The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted." ~ James Madison
17 Jefferson Quotes for the 4th of July
17 Jefferson Quotes for the 4th of July
17 Jefferson Quotes for the 4th of July
Maybe the author of the Declaration of Independence knew something about … independence?
—-
"Sometimes it is said that man cannot be trusted with the government of himself. Can he, then, be trusted with the government of others? Or have we found angels in the form of kings to govern him? Let history answer this question." -- Thomas Jefferson: 1st Inaugural, 1801
"Were we directed from Washington when to sow, and when to reap, we should soon want bread." ~ Thomas Jefferson
"Nothing can now be believed which is seen in a newspaper. Truth itself becomes suspicious by being put into that polluted vehicle. The real extent of this state of misinformation is known only to those who are in situations to confront facts within their knowledge with the lies of the day." ~ Thomas Jefferson
"When all government .. shall be drawn to Washington .. it will .. become as venal and oppressive as the government from which we separated." ~ Thomas Jefferson
—
"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." ~ Thomas Jefferson
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." ~ Thomas Jefferson
"Was the government to prescribe to us our medicine and diet, our bodies would be in such keeping as our souls are now." ~ Thomas Jefferson Notes on the State of Virginia 1787
"The idea is quite unfounded that on entering into society we give up any natural right." ~ Thomas Jefferson – to Francis Gilmer, 1816
—
"A free people [claim] their rights as derived from the laws of nature, and not as the gift of their chief magistrate." ~ Thomas Jefferson
"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them." ~ Thomas Jefferson
"It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world." ~ Thomas Jefferson
"'To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical." ~ Thomas Jefferson
—
"There is a natural aristocracy among men. The grounds of this are virtue and talents." ~ Thomas Jefferson
"The mother principle [is] that 'governments are republican only in proportion as they embody the will of their people, and execute it.'" --Thomas Jefferson to Samuel Kercheval, 1816
"I think myself that we have more machinery of government than is necessary, too many parasites living on the labor of the industrious." -- Thomas Jefferson [Letter to William Ludlow 6 September 1824]
"Congress has not unlimited powers to provide for the general welfare, but only those specifically enumerated." ~ Thomas Jefferson, 1798
—
"What country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance. Let them take arms." ~ Thomas Jefferson [to James Madison, Dec. 20, 1787, in Papers of Jefferson, ed. Boyd et al.]
—
And a bonus from James Madison, the author of the Constitution on why the key design principal was the idea of checks and balances on power:
"Liberty may be endangered by the abuse of liberty, but also by the abuse of power ... The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted." ~ James Madison