Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations...entangling alliances with none

Whatever enables us to go to war, secures our peace

Governments constantly choose between telling lies and fighting wars, with the end result always being the same. One will always lead to the other.

You have not been mistaken in supposing my views and feeling to be in favor of the abolition of war. Of my dispos[i]tion to maintain peace until its condition shall be made less tolerable than that of war itself, the world has had proofs, and more, perhaps, than it has approved. I hope it is practicable, by improving the mind and morals of society, to lessen the dispos[i]tion to war; but of its abolition I despair.

I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.

Born in the same land, we ought to live as brothers, doing to each other all the good we can, and not listening to wicked men, who may endeavor to make us enemies. By living in peace, we can help and prosper one another; by waging war, we can kill and destroy many on both sides; but those who survive will not be the happier for that.

I hope our wisdom will grow with our power, and teach us, that the less we use our power the greater it will be.

War is an instrument entirely inefficient toward redressing wrong; and multiplies, instead of indemnifying losses.

The spirit of this country is totally adverse to a large military force.