“Here, sir, the people govern; here they act by their immediate representatives.”

The very aim and intention of the democratical part, or the house of commons, is to secure the rights of the people. It’s very being depends upon those rights. Its whole power is derived from them, and must be terminated by them.

Hard words are very rarely useful. Real firmness is good for every thing. Strut is good for nothing.

All communities divide themselves into the few and the many. The first are the rich and well-born, the other the mass of the people.

There is a certain enthusiasm in liberty, that makes human nature rise above itself, in acts of bravery and heroism.

Men are rather reasoning than reasonable animals, for the most part governed by the impulse of passion.

Cold in my professions, warm in my friendships, I wish, my Dear Laurens, it might be in my power, by action rather than words, to convince you that I love you.

The kindred blood which flows in the veins of American citizens, the mingled blood which they have shed in defense of their sacred rights, consecrate their Union, and excite horror at the idea of their becoming aliens, rivals, enemies.

Divide et impera must be the motto of every nation that either hates or fears us.

To all general purposes we have uniformly been one people each individual citizen everywhere enjoying the same national rights, privileges, and protection.

To all general purposes we have uniformly been one people each individual citizen everywhere enjoying the same national rights, privileges, and protection.

I have thought it my duty to exhibit things as they are, not as they ought to be.

Nobody expects to trust his body overmuch after the age of fifty.

A nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master, and deserves one.

The voice of the people has been said to be the voice of God; and, however generally this maxim has been quoted and believed, it is not true to fact. The people are turbulent and changing, they seldom judge or determine right.

Dangerous ambition more often lurks behind the specious mask of zeal for the rights of the people than under the forbidden appearance of zeal for the firmness and efficiency of government.

Vigor of government is essential to the security of liberty.

What, then, is the government? An intermediary body established between the subjects and the sovereign for their mutual communication, a body charged with the execution of the laws and the maintenance of freedom, both civil and political.

What experience and history teaches us is that people and governments have never learned anything from history, or acted on principles deduced from it.

Some women govern their husbands without degrading themselves, because intellect will always govern.

Compared with the mobilization of all opponents to the government as such, the capturing of lower middle-class votes was a temporary phenomenon.

Unite all people of African ancestry of the world to one great body to establish a country and absolute government of their own.

It is an old prerogative of kings to govern everything but their passions.

Conquering the world on horseback is easy; it is dismounting and governing that is hard.

What luck, for governments, that the people are stupid.