The consequences of these institutions (The towns or districts, the congregations, the schools,and the militia.) have been, that the inhabitants, having acquired… — John Adams Copy Share Image
A single assembly is liable to all the vices, follies, and frailties of an individual; subject to fits of humor, starts of… — John Adams Copy Share Image
Property must be secured or liberty cannot exist. But if unlimited or unbalanced power of disposing property, be put into the hands… — John Adams Copy Share Image
Oh! the wisdom, the foresight and the hindsight and the rightsight and the leftsight, the northsight and the southsight, and the eastsight… — John Adams Copy Share Image
A single assembly will never be a steady guardian of the laws, if Machiavel is right, when he says, Men are never… — John Adams Copy Share Image
In every society where property exists there will ever be a struggle between rich and poor. Mixed in one assembly, equal laws… — John Adams Copy Share Image
A representative assembly, although extremely well qualified, and absolutely necessary, as a branch of the legislative, is unfit to exercise the executive… — John Adams Copy Share Image
A question arises whether all the powers of government, legislative, executive, and judicial, shall be left in this body? I think a… — John Adams Copy Share Image
A single assembly is apt to grow ambitious, and after a time will not hesitate to vote itself perpetual. This was one… — John Adams Copy Share Image
The fundamental article of my political creed is that despotism, or limited sovereignty, or absolute power is the same [whether] in a… — John Adams Copy Share Image
We may please ourselves with the prospect of free and popular governments. But there is great danger that those governments will not… — John Adams Copy Share Image
Historically, usury was defined as any interest whatever on an unproductive loan.Our whole banking system I have ever abhorred, I continue to abhor, and… — John Adams Copy Share Image
“Daughter! Get you an honest Man for a Husband, and keep him honest. No matter whether he is rich, provided he be independent. Regard… — John Adams Copy Share Image
The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity — John Adams Copy Share Image
We may... affirm that the balance of power in a society accompanies the balance of property in land. The only possible way, then, of… — John Adams Copy Share Image
“The longer I live, the more I read, the more patiently I think, and the more anxiously I inquire, the less I seem to… — John Adams Copy Share Image
But what do we mean by the American Revolution? Do we mean the American war? The Revolution was effected before the war commenced. The… — John Adams Copy Share Image
“Upon common theaters, indeed, the applause of the audience is of more importance to the actors than their own aprobation. But upon the stage… — John Adams Copy Share Image
There are only two creatures of value on the face of the earth: those with the commitment, and those who require the commitment of… — John Adams Copy Share Image
I will insist the Hebrews have [contributed] more to civilize men than any other nation. If I was an atheist and believed in blind… — John Adams Copy Share Image
“Government is instituted for the common good; for the protection, safety, prosperity and happiness of the people; and not for the profit, honor, or… — John Adams Copy Share Image
During the whole time I sat with him in Congress, I never heard him utter three sentences together. — John Adams Copy Share Image