--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I know some say, let us have good laws…" description: "\"I know some say, let us have good laws, and no matter for the men that execute them: but let them consider, that though good laws do well, good men do ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/373/patrick-henry-3071_franklin_i-know-some-say-let-us-have-good-laws-an_839553.png" --- # I know some say, let us have good laws, and no matter for… ![“I know some say, let us have good laws, and no matter for the men that execute them: but let them consider, that though good laws do well, good men do better: for good laws may want good men, and be abolished or evaded [invaded in Franklin's print] by ill men; but good men will never want good…” quote by Patrick Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/373/patrick-henry-3071_franklin_i-know-some-say-let-us-have-good-laws-an_839553.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/373/patrick-henry-3071_franklin_i-know-some-say-let-us-have-good-laws-an_839553.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/373/patrick-henry-3071_franklin_i-know-some-say-let-us-have-good-laws-an_839553.png) > “I know some say, let us have good laws, and no matter for the men that execute them: but let them consider, that though good laws do well, good men do better: for good laws may want good men, and be abolished or evaded \[invaded in Franklin's print\] by ill men; but good men will never want good laws, nor suffer ill ones.” [Patrick Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-henry/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Good laws are insufficient without virtuous enforcers; moral character outweighs legal frameworks. **In simple terms:** Good people matter more than good laws. Key Takeaway Cultivate integrity over relying on legislation. Themes law morality leadership justice Mood reflective critical Type political ethical When to use this quote - government - law enforcement - community building - political reform Key Concepts Civic virtue legal theory ethical governance Questions to Reflect On - How can societies ensure virtuous enforcement? - What mechanisms protect law from abuse? A Different Perspective Good laws can be subverted by corrupt actors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Good man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-man/) [Good men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-men/) [Ill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ill/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Laws](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laws/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Voting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/voting/) ## Related quotes > [The main foundations of every state, new states as well as ancient or composite ones, are good laws and good arms you cannot have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/the-main-foundations-of-every-state-new-states-as-well-as-ancient-or/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [Unnecessary laws are not good laws, but traps for money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hobbes/unnecessary-laws-are-not-good-laws-but-traps-for-money/) [Thomas Hobbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hobbes/) > [The chief foundations of all states, new as well as old or composite, are good laws and good arms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/the-chief-foundations-of-all-states-new-as-well-as-old-or-composite/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [The chief foundations of all states... are good laws and good arms. And as there cannot be good laws where there are not good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niccolo-machiavelli/the-chief-foundations-of-all-states-are-good-laws-and-good-arms-and/) [Niccolo Machiavelli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niccolo-machiavelli/) > [“Many good men have been bad kings, Maester Aemon used to say, and some bad men have been good kings.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/many-good-men-have-been-bad-kings-maester-aemon-used-to-say-and-some/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [“Evils that befall the world are not nearly so often caused by bad men as they are by good men who are silent when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-schiller/evils-that-befall-the-world-are-not-nearly-so-often-caused-by-bad-men/) [Lawrence Schiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-schiller/) > [I'm not good enough for you. But no one is. And most men, good or bad, have limits to what they would do, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/i-m-not-good-enough-for-you-but-no-one-is-and-most-men-good-or-bad/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > [A Few Good Men' and 'As Good As It Gets' were the advent of me taking film seriously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-walter-hauser/a-few-good-men-and-as-good-as-it-gets-were-the-advent-of-me-taking/) [Paul Walter Hauser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-walter-hauser/) > [Good men nowhere, but good boys at Sparta.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diogenes/good-men-nowhere-but-good-boys-at-sparta/) [Diogenes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diogenes/) > [Good women are for good men, and good men for good women''](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agam/good-women-are-for-good-men-and-good-men-for-good-women/) Agam > [If you ask: What is the good of education? The answer is easy: Education makes good men and good men act nobly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/if-you-ask-what-is-the-good-of-education-the-answer-is-easy-education/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [Women should treat men as good as men are expected to treat us. It's a two way street.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/women-should-treat-men-as-good-as-men-are-expected-to-treat-us-it-s-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It is much easier to make good men wise, than to make bad men good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-fielding/it-is-much-easier-to-make-good-men-wise-than-to-make-bad-men-good/) [Henry Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-fielding/) > [“No great country was ever saved by good men, because good men will not go the lengths that may be necessary. —HORACE WALPOLE,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-elia-macneal/no-great-country-was-ever-saved-by-good-men-because-good-men-will-not/) [Susan Elia MacNeal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-elia-macneal/) > [The Gospel of Jesus Christ can make bad men good and good men better, can alter human nature, and can change human lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-o-mckay/the-gospel-of-jesus-christ-can-make-bad-men-good-and-good-men-better/) [David O. McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-o-mckay/) ## More by Patrick Henry > [You ought to be extremely cautious, watchful, jealous of your liberty; for instead of securing your rights, you may lose them forever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-henry/you-ought-to-be-extremely-cautious-watchful-jealous-of-your-liberty/) [Patrick Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-henry/) > [“Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-henry/guard-with-jealous-attention-the-public-liberty-suspect-everyone-who/) [Patrick Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-henry/) > [I have now disposed of all my property to my family. There is one thing more I wish I could give them, and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-henry/i-have-now-disposed-of-all-my-property-to-my-family-there-is-one/) [Patrick Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-henry/) > [My great objection to this government is, that it does not leave us the means of defending our rights, or of waging war against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-henry/my-great-objection-to-this-government-is-that-it-does-not-leave-us/) [Patrick Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-henry/) > [“When the American Spirit was in its youth, the language of America was different; Liberty, sir, was then the primary object.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-henry/when-the-american-spirit-was-in-its-youth-the-language-of-america-was/) [Patrick Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-henry/) > [Shall we, who have laid the proud British lion at our feet, now be afraid of his whelps?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-henry/shall-we-who-have-laid-the-proud-british-lion-at-our-feet-now-be/) [Patrick Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-henry/) > [It is when a people forget God, that tyrants forge their chains.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-henry/it-is-when-a-people-forget-god-that-tyrants-forge-their-chains/) [Patrick Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-henry/) > [That religion, or the duty we owe to our Creator, and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-henry/that-religion-or-the-duty-we-owe-to-our-creator-and-the-manner-of/) [Patrick Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-henry/) > [I shall act as I think my duty requires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-henry/i-shall-act-as-i-think-my-duty-requires/) [Patrick Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-henry/) > [It is the business of a virtuous clergy to censure vice in every appearance of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-henry/it-is-the-business-of-a-virtuous-clergy-to-censure-vice-in-every/) [Patrick Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-henry/) > [Being a Christian... is a character which I prize far above all this world has or can boast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-henry/being-a-christian-is-a-character-which-i-prize-far-above-all-this/) [Patrick Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-henry/) > [Jealousy is the only vice that gives no pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-henry/jealousy-is-the-only-vice-that-gives-no-pleasure/) [Patrick Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-henry/) > […I am sure that the dangers of this system (the Federal Constitution) are real, when those who have no similar interest with the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-henry/i-am-sure-that-the-dangers-of-this-system-the-federal-constitution/) [Patrick Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-henry/) > [Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it! Almighty God! I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-henry/is-life-so-dear-or-peace-so-sweet-as-to-be-purchased-at-the-price-of/) [Patrick Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-henry/) > [That religion, or the duty which we owe to our Creator, and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-henry/that-religion-or-the-duty-which-we-owe-to-our-creator-and-the-manner/) [Patrick Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-henry/) [Explore all 139 Patrick Henry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-henry/) ## More Franklin quotes > [Tentatively I stood a great lump of wood on the chopping block and bought the axe down on it. It flew into two perfect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-garner/tentatively-i-stood-a-great-lump-of-wood-on-the-chopping-block-and/) [Helen Garner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-garner/) > [Tradition does not mean a dead town; it does not mean that the living are dead but that the dead are alive. It means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-k-chesterton/tradition-does-not-mean-a-dead-town-it-does-not-mean-that-the-living/) [Gilbert K. Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) > [Why, just a couple of economic seasons ago, was idle cash considered an indication of bad management or lazy management? Because it meant that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-forbes/why-just-a-couple-of-economic-seasons-ago-was-idle-cash-considered-an/) [Malcolm Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-forbes/) > [My parents were Orthodox Jews but not very regular Orthodox Jews. I was bar mitzvahed and all that. But God was hardly ever mentioned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-hentoff/my-parents-were-orthodox-jews-but-not-very-regular-orthodox-jews-i/) [Nat Hentoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-hentoff/) > [I'm not a singer, a walking instrument like Aretha Franklin. When you get an Iggy Pop record, you don't get "Iggy Sings." I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iggy-pop/i-m-not-a-singer-a-walking-instrument-like-aretha-franklin-when-you/) [Iggy Pop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iggy-pop/) > [ There's a video that's been floating around on YouTube where \[Baz Luhrmann says\], "We were looking for a guy that sounded like a young… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quindon-tarver/there-s-a-video-that-s-been-floating-around-on-youtube-where-baz/) [Quindon Tarver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quindon-tarver/) > [I was born during the Depression in a little community just outside Waco, and I grew up listening to Franklin Roosevelt on the radio.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-richards/i-was-born-during-the-depression-in-a-little-community-just-outside/) [Ann Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-richards/) > [If this lady is pleased to spend her days with Franklin, he would be just as pleased to spend his nights with her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/if-this-lady-is-pleased-to-spend-her-days-with-franklin-he-would-be/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Find a beautiful piece of art. If you fall in love with Van Gogh or Matisse or John Oliver Killens, or if you fall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/find-a-beautiful-piece-of-art-if-you-fall-in-love-with-van-gogh-or/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I'm telling the story, and if I can't tell the story, I'm not going to sing it. And if I don't agree with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-jones/i-m-telling-the-story-and-if-i-can-t-tell-the-story-i-m-not-going-to/) [Sharon Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-jones/) > [You know who was a hero? Franklin Roosevelt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-know-who-was-a-hero-franklin-roosevelt/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [I think Franklin Roosevelt was a lousy president. What he did- which is to impose this great nanny state on America- was a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-crane/i-think-franklin-roosevelt-was-a-lousy-president-what-he-did-which-is/) [Ed Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-crane/) > [ The crisis \[the Great Depression\] discovered a great man in Franklin Roosevelt...None too soon he has carried America forward to the second stage of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells/the-crisis-the-great-depression-discovered-a-great-man-in-franklin/) [H. G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells/) > [I'm very glad my mother didn't let me quit piano lessons at age 10. She said I wasn't old enough or good enough to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/i-m-very-glad-my-mother-didn-t-let-me-quit-piano-lessons-at-age-10/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [ I love Aretha \[Franklin\] and I've loved her all my life. I think she's an incredible songstress, obviously. She consistently has had this incredible… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stevie-wonder/i-love-aretha-franklin-and-i-ve-loved-her-all-my-life-i-think-she-s/) [Stevie Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stevie-wonder/) Browse all 345 Franklin quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I know some say, let us have good laws, and no matter for the men that execute them: but let them consider, that though good laws do well, good men do better: for good laws may want good men, and be abolished or evaded [invaded in Franklin's print] by ill men; but good men will never want good laws, nor suffer ill ones.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Patrick Henry" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-henry/i-know-some-say-let-us-have-good-laws-and-no-matter-for-the-men-that/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Franklin" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-henry/i-know-some-say-let-us-have-good-laws-and-no-matter-for-the-men-that/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/373/patrick-henry-3071_franklin_i-know-some-say-let-us-have-good-laws-an_839553.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/373/patrick-henry-3071_franklin_i-know-some-say-let-us-have-good-laws-an_839553.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/373/patrick-henry-3071_franklin_i-know-some-say-let-us-have-good-laws-an_839553.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I know some say, let us have good laws, and no matter for the men that execute them: but let them consider…” — Patrick Henry", "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": "Patrick Henry", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-henry/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I know some say, let us...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-henry/i-know-some-say-let-us-have-good-laws-and-no-matter-for-the-men-that/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-henry/i-know-some-say-let-us-have-good-laws-and-no-matter-for-the-men-that/#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 } } ] } ```