This being Father's Day, I thought it might be fun to search for examples of the wisdom of our
Founding Fathers and share some of the quotes here. As to my method, I have found all these quotes on the internet, so I know they must indeed be actual transcriptions of what each one said and accurately attributed to boot. After all, as I said, I found them on the internet. ;-) (Caveat emptor!)
That said, I frequently wonder what Adams, Jefferson, Franklin, Hamilton, Madison and George Washington would think about what is going on in our country today.
John Adams:
"Facts are stubborn things, and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence."
"There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty."
"Great is the guilt of an unnecessary war."
"Power always thinks... that it is doing God's service when it is violating all his laws."
Thomas Jefferson:
"Enlighten the people, generally, and tyranny and oppressions of body and mind will vanish like spirits at the dawn of day."
"Conquest is not in our principles. It is inconsistent with our government."
"Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny."
"I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that his justice cannot sleep forever."
"Don't talk about what you have done or what you are going to do.
Benjamin Franklin:
"All mankind is divided into three classes: those that are immovable, those that are movable, and those that move."
Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both."
"Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing."
Alexander Hamilton:
"Those who stand for nothing fall for anything."
"In the main it will be found that a power over a man's support (salary) is a power over his will."
"If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy."
James Madison:
"In no instance have . . . the churches been guardians of the liberties of the people."
"The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted."
"The purpose of separation of church and state is to keep forever from these shores the ceaseless strife that has soaked the soil of Europe with blood for centuries."
George Washington:
"If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter."
"My first wish is to see this plague of mankind, war, banished from the earth."
"As Mankind becomes more liberal, they will be more apt to allow that all those who conduct themselves as worthy members of the community are equally entitled to the protections of civil government. I hope ever to see America among the foremost nations of justice and liberality."
And just for fun:
"I must not write a word to you about politics, because you are a woman." -- John Adams
"Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy." -- Franklin
"I wake up every morning at nine and grab for the morning paper. Then I look at the obituary page. If my name is not on it, I get up." -- Franklin again