Quotes About Freedom

When men yield up the privilege of thinking, the last shadow of liberty quits the horizon.

Man did not enter society to be worse off, or to have fewer rights, but rather to have those rights better secured

But such is the irresistible nature of truth, that all it asks, and all it wants, is the liberty of appearing.

The cause of America is in great measure the cause of all mankind.

The American Crisis Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated.

That government is best which governs least.

for though the flame of liberty may sometimes cease to shine, the coal can never expire.

Mingling religion with politics may be disavowed and reprobated by every inhabitant of America.

It is not because a part of the government is elective, that makes it less a despotism, if the persons so elected possess afterwards, as a parliament, unlimited powers. Election, in this case, becomes separated from representation, and the candidates are candidates for despotism.

Of all the tyrannies that affect mankind, tyranny in religion is the worst; every other species of tyranny is limited to the world we live in; but this attempts to stride beyond the grave, and seeks to pursue us into eternity.

Everything that is right or reasonable pleads for separation. The blood of the slain, the weeping voice of nature cries, 'tis time to part.

He who denies to another this right, makes a slave of himself to his present opinion, because he precludes himself the right of changing it. The most formidable weapon against errors of every kind is Reason.

Man did not enter into society to become worse than he was before, nor to have fewer rights than he had before, but to have those rights better secured.

let a crown be placed thereon, by which the world may know, that so far as we approve of monarchy, that in America THE LAW IS KING. For as in absolute governments the King is law, so in free countries the law OUGHT to be King; and there ought to be no other. But lest any ill use should afterwards arise, let the crown at the conclusion of the ceremony, be demolished, and scattered among the people whose right it is.

Man is not the enemy of man, but through the medium of a false system of Government.

An avidity to punish is always dangerous to liberty. It leads men to stretch, to misinterpret, and to misapply even the best of laws. He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates his duty he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself.

The duty of a true Patriot is to protect his country from its government.

As to religion, I hold it to be the indispensible duty of all government, to protect all conscientious professors thereof, and I know of no other business which government hath to do therewith.

The rights of men in society, are neither devisable or transferable, nor annihilable, but are descendable only, and it is not in the power of any generation to intercept finally, and cut off the descent. If the present generation, or any other, are disposed to be slaves, it does not lessen the right of the succeeding generation to be free. Wrongs cannot have a legal descent.

The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind. Many circumstances have, and will arise, which are not local, but universal

Every age and generation must be as free to act for itself in all cases as the age and generations which preceded it. The vanity and presumption of governing beyond the grave is the most ridiculous and insolent of all tyrannies.

If the present generation, or any other, are disposed to be slaves, it does not lessen the right of the succeeding generation to be free.

Wer seine eigene Freiheit sichern will, muss selbst seinen Feind vor Unterdrückung schützen.

if they cannot conquer us, they cannot govern us.