Quotes from Thomas Paine

Persecution is not an original feature in any religion; but it is always the strongly marked feature of all religions established by law.

Whatever has a tendency to promote the civil intercourse of nations by an exchange of benefits is a subject as worthy of philosophy as of politics.

Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one.

When we are planning for posterity, we ought to remember that virtue is not hereditary.

An army of principles will penetrate where an army of soldiers cannot.

From such beginnings of governments, what could be expected, but a continual system of war and extortion?

The cunning of the fox is as murderous as the violence of the wolf.

Peace, which costs nothing, is attended with infinitely more advantage than any victory with all its expence.

He who is the author of a war lets loose the whole contagion of hell and opens a vein that bleeds a nation to death.

These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country, but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.

A thing moderately good is not so good as it ought to be. Moderation in temper is always a virtue; but moderation in principle is always a vice.

The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; 'tis dearness only that gives everything it's value.

These are the times that try men's souls.

The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheaply, we esteem too lightly; 'tis dearness only that gives everything its value.

A man may write himself out of reputation when nobody else can do it.

There are two distinct classes of what are called thoughts: those that we produce in ourselves by reflection and the act of thinking and those that bolt into the mind of their own accord.

He that rebels against reason is a real rebel, but he that in defence of reason rebels against tyranny has a better title to Defender of the Faith, than George the Third.

On this question of war, three things are to be considered. First, the right of declaring it: secondly, the expense of supporting it: thirdly, the mode of conducting it after it is declared.

Taxes were not raised to carry on wars, but that wars were raised to carry on taxes.

Let the world see that this nation can bear prosperity; and that her honest virtue in time of peace is equal to her bravest valor in time of war.

When an objection cannot be made formidable, there is some policy in trying to make it frightful; and to substitute the yell and the war-whoop, in the place of reason, argument and good order.

If there was ever a just war since the world began, it is this in which America is now engaged.

Thus commerce, though in itself a moral nullity, has had a considerable influence in tempering the human mind....he trades with the same countries ...(that he) would have gone to war with.

It is the object only of war that makes it honorable.