Politics Quotes

"The people are the true source of all legitimate authority."

"Authority derived from birth or wealth is no authority at all."

"The revolution devours its children, yet from their sacrifice springs new liberty."

"In every man burns the spark of divinity; politics should honor it."

"The test of a true patriot is loyalty to country, not to its leaders."

"In the face of tyranny, even silence becomes a form of surrender."

"Love for one's country should not blind one to its faults."

"Despotism flourishes where people fear to speak."

"The true patriot loves his country enough to demand its improvement."

"The wealthy sleep soundly only when the poor are sedated by false hopes."

"Those who profit from suffering have every reason to prolong it."

"I am not a king, but a citizen, and it is in that character that I have always wished to be considered."

"The principle of succession is of that importance that no nation can neglect it without the utmost peril."

"The art of government is the art of being honest and sincere."

"I am not a Virginian, but an American."

"The distinctions between Virginians, Pennsylvanians, New Yorkers, and New Englanders are no more."

"The lamp of experience is the only true guide in politics."

"The question before the house is one of awful moment to this country."

"If men were angels, no government would be necessary."

"Popular sovereignty and federalism are the two pillars of American democracy."

"Public opinion sets bounds to every government."

"The powers delegated to the federal government are few and defined."

"The states are parties to the constitutional compact."

"The definition of a republic is a government which derives all its powers directly or indirectly from the great body of the people."

"The purpose of separation of powers is not to avoid action but to prevent the vesting of unaccountable power."

"Charity is no part of the legislative duty of the government."

"The essence of republican government is the capacity of the people to govern themselves."

"The principle of representation was unknown in the ancient world."

"The power of the purse is the constitutional prerogative of the House."

"The aim of every political constitution is to establish a system of control."