Thomas Jefferson

"When a man assumes a public trust he should consider himself a public property."

"Wisdom I know is social. She seeks her fellows. But Beauty is jealous, and illy bears the presence of a rival."

"All authority belongs to the people."

"I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our monied corporations which dare already to challenge our government to a trial by strength, and bid defiance to the laws of our country."

"I have often thought that nothing would do more extensive good at small expense than the establishment of a small circulating library in every county, to consist of a few well-chosen books, to be lent to the people of the country under regulations as would secure their safe return in due time."

"I consider him [Alexander von Humboldt] the most important scientist whom I have met."

"The force of public opinion cannot be resisted when permitted freely to be expressed. The agitation it produces must be submitted to."

"Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without government I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter."

"...We are all Federalists,and we are all Republicans."

"It is the old practice of despots to use a part of the people to keep the rest in order."

"Sometimes it is said that man cannot be trusted with the government of himself. Can he, then be trusted with the government of others? Or have we found angels in the form of kings to govern him? Let history answer this question."

"No body wishes more than I do to see such proofs as you exhibit, that nature has given to our black brethren, talents equal to those of the other colors of men, and that the appearance of a want of them is owing merely to the degraded condition of their existence, both in Africa & America."