Quotes from John Adams

All great changes are irksome to the human mind, especially those which are attended with great dangers and uncertain effects.

National defense is one of the cardinal duties of a statesman, and that there is an obligation to perform such a duty absolutely irrespective of party politics or factional differences.

If the way to do good to my country were to render myself popular, I could easily do it. But extravagant popularity is not the road to public advantage.

Oh! the wisdom, the foresight and the hindsight and the rightsight and the leftsight, the northsight and the southsight, and the eastsight and the westsight that appeared in that august assembly.

Power must never be trusted without a check.

When economic power became concentrated in a few hands, then political power flowed to those possessors and away from the citizens, ultimately resulting in an oligarchy or tyranny.

If national pride is ever justifiable or excusable it is when it springs, not from power or riches, grandeur or glory, but from conviction of national innocence, information and benevolence.

The way to secure liberty is to place it in the people's hands, that is, to give them the power at all times to defend it in the legislature and in the courts of justice.

Power always thinks... that it is doing God's service when it is violating all his laws.

I have examined all religions, and the result is that the Bible is the best book in the world.

Admire and adore the Author of the telescopic universe, love and esteem the work, do all in your power to lessen ill, and increase good, but never assume to comprehend.

Thanks be to God, that he gave me Stubborness, when I know I am right.

The rights of Englishmen are derived from God, not from king or Parliament, and would be secured by the study of history, law, and tradition.

To be good, and to do good, is all we have to do.

I am quite content to come home and go to Farming, be a select Man, and owe no Man any Thing but good Will. There I can get a little health and teach my Boys to be Lawyers.

It is an observation of one of the profoundest inquirers into human affairs that a revolution of government is the strongest proof that can be given by a people of their virtue and good sense.

But a Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever.

He is too illiterate, unread, unlearned for his station and reputation.

Liberty, once lost, is lost forever.

Government has no Right to hurt a hair of the head of an Atheist, for his Opinions. Let him have a care of his Practices.

The consequences arising from the continual accumulation of public debts in other countries ought to admonish us to prevent their growth in our own.

[You have Rights] antecedent to all earthly governments: Rights, that cannot be repealed or restrained by human laws; Rights, derived from the Great Legislator of the universe.

A government of laws, and not of men

Great is the guilt of an unnecessary war.