Liberty cannot be preserved without general knowledge among the people.

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.

The Hebrews have done more to civilize men than any other nation. If I were an atheist, and believed blind eternal fate, I should still believe that fate had ordained the Jews to be the most essential instrument for civilizing the nations.

A government of laws, and not of men.

All the perplexities, confusion and distress in America arise, not from defects in their Constitution or Confederation, not from want of honor or virtue, so much as from the downright ignorance of the nature of coin, credit and circulation.