Ought Quotes

2904 Ought quotes by 1598 unique authors

The fabric of American empire ought to rest on the solid basis of THE CONSENT OF THE PEOPLE. The streams of national power ought to… — Alexander Hamilton
The passions, therefore, not the reason, of the public would sit in judgment. But it is the reason, alone, of the public, that ought to… — James Madison
As the duties of superintending the national defense and of securing the public peace against foreign or domestic violence involve a provision for casualties and… — Alexander Hamilton
Our country represents nothing but peaceful intentions toward all the earth, but it ought not to fail to maintain such a military force as comports… — Calvin Coolidge
Nothing short of self-respect and that justice which is essential to a national character ought to involve us in war. — George Washington
My philological studies have satisfied me that a gifted person ought to learn English (barring spelling and pronouncing) in thirty hours, French in thirty days,… — Mark Twain
Methinks the human method of expression by sound of tongue is very elementary, and ought to be substituted for some ingenious invention which should be… — Virginia Woolf
He that doth not as other men do, but endeavoureth that which ought to be done, shall thereby rather incur peril than preservation; for who… — Walter Raleigh
The making of a picture ought surely to be a rather fascinating adventure. It is not; it is an endless contention of tawdry egos, some… — Raymond Chandler
Man is insatiable for power; he is infantile in his desires and, always discontented with what he has, loves only what he has not. People… — Joseph de Maistre
[Regarding legislative assemblies,] the number ought at most to be kept within a certain limit, in order to avoid the confusion and intemperance of a… — James Madison
You give me a credit to which I have no claim in calling me "the writer of the Constitution of the United States." This was… — James Madison
[T]he Constitution ought to be the standard of construction for the laws, and that wherever there is an evident opposition, the laws ought to give… — Alexander Hamilton
The construction applied . . . to those parts of the Constitution of the United States which delegate Congress a power . . . ought… — Thomas Jefferson
there ought always to be a constitutional method of giving efficacy to constitutional provisions. What for instance would avail restrictions on the authority of the… — James Madison
The reasonableness of the agency of the national courts in cases in which the state tribunals cannot be supposed to be impartial, speaks for itself.… — Alexander Hamilton
The interpretation of the laws is the proper and peculiar province of the courts. A constitution is, in fact, and must be regarded by the… — Alexander Hamilton
All good biography, as all good fiction, comes down to the study of original sin, of our inherent disposition to choose death when we ought… — Rebecca West
The administration of government, like a guardianship ought to be directed to the good of those who confer, not of those who receive the trust. — Marcus Tullius Cicero
As parents, we can have no joy, knowing that this government is not sufficiently lasting to ensure any thing which we may bequeath to posterity:… — Thomas Paine
I regret, as much as any member, the unavoidable weight and duration of the burdens to be imposed; having never been a proselyte to the… — James Madison
The ordaining of laws in favor of one part of the nation, to the prejudice and oppression of another, is certainly the most erroneous and… — Benjamin Franklin
Wise politicians will be cautious about fettering the government with restrictions that cannot be observed, because they know that every break of the fundamental laws,… — Alexander Hamilton
Wherever indeed a right of property is infringed for the general good, if the nature of the case admits of compensation, it ought to be… — Alexander Hamilton
If, then, the control of the people over the organs of their government be the measure of its republicanism, and I confess I know no… — Thomas Jefferson

Who Wrote These Ought Quotes

1,598 authors contributed a total of 2,904 Ought Quotes, led by these top contributors: