---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There never was a law yet made, I…"
description: "\"There never was a law yet made, I conceive, that hit the taste exactly of every man, or every part of the community; of course, if this be a reason for..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ba/george-washington-257_cases_there-never-was-a-law-yet-made-i-conceiv_2899756.jpg"
---

#  There never was a law yet made, I conceive, that hit the…

![“There never was a law yet made, I conceive, that hit the taste exactly of every man, or every part of the community; of course, if this be a reason for opposition, no law can be executed at all without force, and every man or set of men will in that case cut and carve for themselves; the…” quote by George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ba/george-washington-257_cases_there-never-was-a-law-yet-made-i-conceiv_2899756.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ba/george-washington-257_cases_there-never-was-a-law-yet-made-i-conceiv_2899756.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ba/george-washington-257_cases_there-never-was-a-law-yet-made-i-conceiv_2899756.jpg)

> “There never was a law yet made, I conceive, that hit the taste exactly of every man, or every part of the community; of course, if this be a reason for opposition, no law can be executed at all without force, and every man or set of men will in that case cut and carve for themselves; the consequences of which must be deprecated by all classes of men, who are friends to order, and to the peace and happiness of the country.”

[George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Washington argues that laws must be enforceable by force, otherwise people will take matters into their own hands, threatening order.

**In simple terms:** Laws need enforcement or people will act on their own.

Key Takeaway

Ensure laws are backed by authority.

Themes

law order force societal stability political theory

Mood

reflective serious historical

Type

political philosophical quote

When to use this quote

- government formation
- civil unrest
- legal theory
- historical analysis

Key Concepts

social contract legitimacy coercion public safety

Questions to Reflect On

- What are the dangers of relying on force?
- How can legitimacy be built without coercion?

A Different Perspective

Force alone may not guarantee just outcomes.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Class](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class/) [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Consequence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consequence/) [Country](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/country/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Opposition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opposition/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Peace and happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace-and-happiness/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/)

## Related quotes

> [“Sometimes you had to call up a little conflict in order to get to a peace worth having.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-green-wedded-to-war-heroines-behind-the-lines/sometimes-you-had-to-call-up-a-little-conflict-in-order-to-get-to-a/)

Jocelyn Green Wedded to War Heroines Behind the Lines

> [In order to have a peace that surpasses all understanding, you have to give up your right to understand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-johnson/in-order-to-have-a-peace-that-surpasses-all-understanding-you-have-to/)

[Bill Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-johnson/)

> [Sometimes in order to have peace, love, and happiness there must be war, hate, and sadness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/sometimes-in-order-to-have-peace-love-and-happiness-there-must-be-war/)

[Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/)

> [For the world order to be one of peace and justice, for the global village to be a theater of right livelihood, it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnivesh/for-the-world-order-to-be-one-of-peace-and-justice-for-the-global/)

[Agnivesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnivesh/)

> [When it becomes a bloody reality, we have to come together and look at what can be done to return to the order of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-peres/when-it-becomes-a-bloody-reality-we-have-to-come-together-and-look-at/)

[Shimon Peres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shimon-peres/)

> [In order to have peace, we must first have trust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/veronica-roth/in-order-to-have-peace-we-must-first-have-trust/)

[Veronica Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/veronica-roth/)

> [But I won't bore you any longer on the subject of old men. It won't make things any better and all my plans of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/but-i-won-t-bore-you-any-longer-on-the-subject-of-old-men-it-won-t/)

[Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/)

> [We give up leisure in order that we may have leisure, just as we go to war in order that we may have peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/we-give-up-leisure-in-order-that-we-may-have-leisure-just-as-we-go-to/)

[Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/)

> [“In order to build a truly wise society devoid of any kind of existential crisis, it is imperative that the individuals foster a healthy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/in-order-to-build-a-truly-wise-society-devoid-of-any-kind-of/)

[Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/)

> [The greatest obstacles to inner peace are disturbing emotions such as anger, attachment, fear and suspicion, while love and compassion and a sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/the-greatest-obstacles-to-inner-peace-are-disturbing-emotions-such-as/)

[Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/)

> [As we move forward into this 21st century, we encourage all of you to take a positive step toward universal understanding. Touch people with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masami-saionji/as-we-move-forward-into-this-21st-century-we-encourage-all-of-you-to/)

[Masami Saionji](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masami-saionji/)

> [“The purpose of each incarnation is the transformation \\ spiritual development of the individual. To the extent our day-to-day activities become harmonious with this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-vazhakunnathu/the-purpose-of-each-incarnation-is-the-transformation-spiritual/)

[Thomas Vazhakunnathu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-vazhakunnathu/)

> [To forgive is the highest, most beautiful form of love. In return, you will receive untold peace and happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-muller/to-forgive-is-the-highest-most-beautiful-form-of-love-in-return-you/)

[Robert Muller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-muller/)

> [Our joy, peace and happiness depend very much on our practice of recognizing and transforming habit energies. There are positive habit energies that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nhat-hanh/our-joy-peace-and-happiness-depend-very-much-on-our-practice-of/)

[Nhat Hanh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nhat-hanh/)

> [Happy Holidays. Wishing you a beautiful holiday season and a new year of peace and happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/happy-holidays-wishing-you-a-beautiful-holiday-season-and-a-new-year/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More by George Washington

> [It is absolutely necessary... for me to have persons that can think for me, as well as execute orders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/it-is-absolutely-necessary-for-me-to-have-persons-that-can-think-for/)

[George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/)

> [The whole duty of man is summed up in obedience to God's will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/the-whole-duty-of-man-is-summed-up-in-obedience-to-god-s-will/)

[George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/)

> [The turning points of lives are not the great moments. The real crises are often concealed in occurrences so trivial in appearance that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/the-turning-points-of-lives-are-not-the-great-moments-the-real-crises/)

[George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/)

> [The propitious smiles of Heaven, can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right, which Heaven itself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/the-propitious-smiles-of-heaven-can-never-be-expected-on-a-nation/)

[George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/)

> [Interwoven as is the love of liberty with every ligament of your hearts, no recommendation of mine is necessary to fortify or confirm the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/interwoven-as-is-the-love-of-liberty-with-every-ligament-of-your/)

[George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/)

> [In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism who should labor to subvert these great pillars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/in-vain-would-that-man-claim-the-tribute-of-patriotism-who-should/)

[George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/)

> [The blessed Religion revealed in the word of God will remain an eternal and awful monument to prove that the best Institution may be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/the-blessed-religion-revealed-in-the-word-of-god-will-remain-an/)

[George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/)

> [While we are contending for our own liberty, we should be very cautious not to violate the conscience of others, ever considering that God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/while-we-are-contending-for-our-own-liberty-we-should-be-very/)

[George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/)

> [Among many other weighty objections to the Measure, it has been suggested, that it has a tendency to introduce religious disputes into the Army,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/among-many-other-weighty-objections-to-the-measure-it-has-been/)

[George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/)

> [Democratical States must always feel before they can see: it is this that makes their Governments slow, but the people will be right at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/democratical-states-must-always-feel-before-they-can-see-it-is-this/)

[George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/)

> [If, in the opinion of the people, the distribution or modification of the constitutional powers be in any particular wrong, let it be corrected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/if-in-the-opinion-of-the-people-the-distribution-or-modification-of/)

[George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/)

> [A man's intentions should be allowed in some respects to plead for his actions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/a-man-s-intentions-should-be-allowed-in-some-respects-to-plead-for/)

[George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/)

> [It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible. Do not ever let anyone claim to be a true American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/it-is-impossible-to-rightly-govern-the-world-without-god-and-the/)

[George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/)

> [My first wish is to see this plague of mankind banished from the earth, and the sons and daughters of this world employed in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/my-first-wish-is-to-see-this-plague-of-mankind-banished-from-the/)

[George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/)

> [Lenity will operate with greater force, in some instances, than rigor. It is, therefore, my first wish, to have my whole conduct distinguished by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/lenity-will-operate-with-greater-force-in-some-instances-than-rigor/)

[George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/)

[Explore all 801 George Washington quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/)

## More Cases quotes

> [The time that one gains cannot be accumulated in a storehouse; it is contradictory to want to save up existence, which, the fact is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/the-time-that-one-gains-cannot-be-accumulated-in-a-storehouse-it-is/)

[Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/)

> [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/)

[Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/)

> [I'd always have grease in at least two places, in case the umpires would ask me to wipe one off. I never wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaylord-perry/i-d-always-have-grease-in-at-least-two-places-in-case-the-umpires/)

[Gaylord Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaylord-perry/)

> [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/)

[Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/)

> [You gonna take the case?" It's not a case. It's a missing person. Sort of." You're gonna have a devil of a time finding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-evanovich/you-gonna-take-the-case-it-s-not-a-case-it-s-a-missing-person-sort-of/)

[Janet Evanovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-evanovich/)

> [I think we've all had enough of Coltrane saxophonists. There's a case of someone ruining a generation of saxophonists, as Louis Armstrong may have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bley/i-think-we-ve-all-had-enough-of-coltrane-saxophonists-there-s-a-case/)

[Paul Bley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bley/)

> [Every wife ought to answer for her man. If the husband be engaged in a seditious club, or drinks mysterious healths, or be frugal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/every-wife-ought-to-answer-for-her-man-if-the-husband-be-engaged-in-a/)

[Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/)

> [The world around us is an increasingly hostile and sinful place. Occasionally that splashes onto us, and perhaps, in the case of a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-world-around-us-is-an-increasingly-hostile-and-sinful-place/)

[Jeffrey R. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/)

> [If you followed the media you'd think that everybody in Africa was starving to death, and that's not the case; so it's important to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/if-you-followed-the-media-you-d-think-that-everybody-in-africa-was/)

[Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chimamanda-ngozi-adichie/)

> [ \[As in the case of\] alcohol prohibition, illegality has driven organized crime, sent countless people to jail, and killed many thousands. Repression does not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-branson/as-in-the-case-of-alcohol-prohibition-illegality-has-driven-organized/)

[Sam Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-branson/)

> [He emphasised basic truths: you are not dying yet, you have to live your life until you are. Underpinning them was the belief that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/he-emphasised-basic-truths-you-are-not-dying-yet-you-have-to-live/)

[Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/)

> [Athletes at all ages are bigger and stronger than ever before. And they are being encouraged - sometimes even incentivized, as we recently learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-jain/athletes-at-all-ages-are-bigger-and-stronger-than-ever-before-and/)

[Naveen Jain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-jain/)

> [Each Act of Parliament intended to address harassment and discrimination has faced objections on the basis of 'you'll never be able to prove...' and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-field/each-act-of-parliament-intended-to-address-harassment-and/)

[Tim Field](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-field/)

> [The Cheney team had, for example, technological supremacy over the National Security Council staff. That is to say, they could read their e-mails. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-wilkerson/the-cheney-team-had-for-example-technological-supremacy-over-the/)

[Lawrence Wilkerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-wilkerson/)

> [If you want good behavior, don't pay on a commission basis. Our judges aren't paid so much a case. We keep them pretty well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/if-you-want-good-behavior-don-t-pay-on-a-commission-basis-our-judges/)

[Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/)

Browse all 6,420 Cases quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "There never was a law yet made, I conceive, that hit the taste exactly of every man, or every part of the community; of course, if this be a reason for opposition, no law can be executed at all without force, and every man or set of men will in that case cut and carve for themselves; the consequences of which must be deprecated by all classes of men, who are friends to order, and to the peace and happiness of the country.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "George Washington"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/there-never-was-a-law-yet-made-i-conceive-that-hit-the-taste-exactly/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Cases"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/there-never-was-a-law-yet-made-i-conceive-that-hit-the-taste-exactly/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ba/george-washington-257_cases_there-never-was-a-law-yet-made-i-conceiv_2899756.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ba/george-washington-257_cases_there-never-was-a-law-yet-made-i-conceiv_2899756.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7ba/george-washington-257_cases_there-never-was-a-law-yet-made-i-conceiv_2899756.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“There never was a law yet made, I conceive, that hit the taste exactly of every man, or every part of the…” — George Washington",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "George Washington",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "There never was a law yet...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/there-never-was-a-law-yet-made-i-conceive-that-hit-the-taste-exactly/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/there-never-was-a-law-yet-made-i-conceive-that-hit-the-taste-exactly/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
