The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only object of good government. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
Taxation is, in fact, the most difficult function of government and that against which their citizens are most apt to be refractory. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
[A]lthough a republican government is slow to move, yet when once in motion, its momentum becomes irresistible. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
[The people] are in truth the only legitimate proprietors of the soil and government. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
I consider ethics, as well as religion, as supplements to law in the government of man. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
Government is being founded on opinion, the opinion of the public, even when it is wrong, ought to be respected to a… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
[States and the Federal government are] coordinate departments of one simple and integral whole... The one is the domestic, the other the… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
[T]he opinion which gives to the judges the right to decide what laws are constitutional and what not, not only for themselves,… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
A cold-blooded, calculation, unprincipled, usurper, without a virtue, no statesman, knowing nothing of commerce, political economy, or civil government, and supplying ignorance… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
no one more sincerely wishes the spread of information among mankind than I do, and none has greater confidence in it's effect… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
It is time enough, for the rightful purposes of civil government, for its officers to interfere [in the propagation of religious teachings]… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
History, I believe, furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government. This marks the lowest grade of ignorance… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
The provisions we have made [for our government] are such as please ourselves; they answer the substantial purposes of government and of… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
I consider the government of the U.S. as interdicted by the Constitution from intermeddling with religious institutions, their doctrines, discipline, or exercises. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
The functionaries of every government have propensities to command at will the liberty and property of their constituents. There is no safe… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
But with respect to future debt; would it not be wise and just for that nation to declare in the constitution they… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
I think myself that we have more machinery of government than is necessary, too many parasites living on the labor of the… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
Every man, and every body of men on earth, possesses the right of self-government. They receive it with their being from the… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
The way to have good and safe government is not to trust it all to one, but to divide it among the… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
The mobs of the great cities add just so much to the support of pure government as sores do to the strength… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
You know well that government always kept a kind of standing army of newswriters who, without any regard to truth or to… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
May [our Declaration of Independence] be to the world, what I believe it will be (to some parts sooner, to others later,… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
Those who bear equally the burthens of Government should equally participate of its benefits. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
I believe the states can best govern our home concerns, and the general government our foreign ones. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as they are injurious to others. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
The will of the people is the only legitimate foundation of any government, and to protect its free expression should be our… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
I deny the power of the general government to making paper money, or anything else a legal tender. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
The republican is the only form of government which is not eternally at open or secret war with the rights of mankind. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
An hereditary aristocracy... will change the form of our governments from the best to the worst in the world. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions that I wish it to be always kept alive. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
An occasional insurrection will not weigh against the inconveniences of a government of force, such as are monarchies and aristocracies. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
If I had to choose between government without newspapers, and newspapers without government, I wouldn't hesitate to choose the latter — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
I think we have more machinery of government than is necessary, too many parasites living on the labor of the industrious. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
I believe the states can best govern our home concerns and the federal government our foreign ones. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
No government should be without critics. If its intentions are good then it has nothing to fear from criticism. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
When the people are afraid of the government, that's tyranny. But when the government is afraid of the people, that's liberty. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
Man ... feels that he is a participator in the government of affairs not merely at an election, one day in the… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share Image
A man has a right to use a saw, an axe, a plane, separately; may he not combine their uses on the same piece… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share
Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share
[States and the Federal government are] coordinate departments of one simple and integral whole... The one is the domestic, the other the foreign branch… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share
I am for freedom of religion, and against all maneuvers to bring about a legal ascendency of one sect over another. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share
Single acts of tyranny may be ascribed to the accidental opinion of a day; but a series of oppressions, begun at a distinguished period… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share
“Perceiving the order of nature to be that individual happiness shall be inseparable from the practice of virtue, I am willing to hope it… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share
Free government is founded in jealousy, and not in confidence; it is jealousy, and not confidence, which prescribes limited constitutions, to bind down those… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share
Though you cannot see, when you take one step, what will be the next, yet follow truth, justice, and plain dealing, and never fear… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share
The two principles on which our conduct towards the Indians should be founded are justice and fear. After the injuries we have done them,… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share
There is... an artificial aristocracy founded on wealth and birth, without either virtue or talents... The artificial aristocracy is a mischievous ingredient in government,… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share
Nothing but free argument, raillery and even ridicule will preserve the purity of religion. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share
When the people are afraid of the government, that's tyranny. But when the government is afraid of the people, that's liberty. — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights,… — Thomas Jefferson Copy Share
![“[A]lthough a republican government is slow to move, yet when once in motion, its momentum becomes irresistible.” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e5/thomas-jefferson-43_government_a-lthough-a-republican-government-is-slo_2166652.jpg)
![“[The people] are in truth the only legitimate proprietors of the soil and government.” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/927/thomas-jefferson-43_government_the-people-are-in-truth-the-only-legitim_2093506.jpg)
![“[States and the Federal government are] coordinate departments of one simple and integral whole... The one is the domestic, the other the foreign branch of the same government.” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/401/thomas-jefferson-43_branches_states-and-the-federal-government-are-co_2619.jpg)
![“[T]he opinion which gives to the judges the right to decide what laws are constitutional and what not, not only for themselves, in their, own sphere of action, but for the Legislature and Executive also in their spheres, would make the Judiciary a despotic branch.” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cfa/thomas-jefferson-43_action_t-he-opinion-which-gives-to-the-judges-t_2055401.jpg)
![“It is time enough, for the rightful purposes of civil government, for its officers to interfere [in the propagation of religious teachings] when principles break out into overt acts against peace and good order.” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fac/thomas-jefferson-43_break_it-is-time-enough-for-the-rightful-purpo_2061978.jpg)
![“The provisions we have made [for our government] are such as please ourselves; they answer the substantial purposes of government and of justice, and other purposes than these should not be answered.” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27d/thomas-jefferson-43_answers_the-provisions-we-have-made-for-our-gove_1082584.jpg)
![“You know well that government always kept a kind of standing army of newswriters who, without any regard to truth or to what should be like truth, invented and put into the papers whatever might serve the [government] ministers. This suffices with the mass of the people who have no means of…” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/60a/thomas-jefferson-43_army_you-know-well-that-government-always-kep_2551285.jpg)
![“May [our Declaration of Independence] be to the world, what I believe it will be (to some parts sooner, to others later, but finally to all), the signal of arousing men to burst the chains under which monkish ignorance and superstition had persuaded them to bind themselves, and to assume the…” quote by Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b66/thomas-jefferson-43_assuming_may-our-declaration-of-independence-be-t_1692808.jpg)
