The vice presidency isn’t worth a pitcher of warm piss.

The affairs of the world are no more than so much trickery, and a man who toils for money or honor or whatever else in deference to the wishes of others, rather than because his own desire or needs lead him to do so, will always be a fool.

All the ills of democracy can be cured by more democracy.

Written laws are like spiderwebs: they will catch, it is true, the weak and poor but would be torn in pieces by the rich and powerful.

An appeal to the reason of the people has never been known to fail in the long run.

No free man shall be taken or imprisoned or dispossessed or outlawed or exiled, or in any way destroyed, nor will we go upon him, nor will we send against him except by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land.

The U.S. presidency is a Tudor monarchy plus telephones.

There is no method by which men can be both free and equal.

The spirit of liberty is the spirit which is not too sure it is right.

The first requirement of a statesman is that he be dull.

Why has the government been instituted at all? Because the passions of men will not conform to the dictates of reason and justice without constraint.

There is nothing more tyrannical than a strong popular feeling among a democratic people.

If you must take care that your opinions do not differ in the least from those of the person with whom you are talking, you might just as well be alone.