War should only be declared by the authority of the people, whose tolls and pleasures are to support its burdens, instead of the government which is to reap its fruit.

The Religion then of every man must be left to the conviction and conscience of every man: and it is the right of every man to exercise it as these may dictate.

That religion, or the duty which we owe to our CREATOR, and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence; and therefore, all men are equally entitled to the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience; and that it is the mutual duty of all to practise Christian forbearance, love, and charity; towards each other.

Toleration is not the opposite of intolerance, but is the counterfeit of it. Both are despotisms. The one assumes to itself the right of withholding liberty of conscience, the other of granting it

One of the worst forms of government is a pure democracy, that is, one in which the citizens enact and administer the laws directly. Such a government is helpless against the mischiefs of faction.

In Republics, the great danger is, that the majority may not sufficiently respect the rights of the minority

Nothing could be more irrational than to give the people power, and to withhold from them information without which power is abused.

Experience is the oracle of truth; and where its responses are unequivocal, they ought to be conclusive and sacred.

The choice must always be made, if not one of the lesser evil, at least of the greater, not the perfect good.

A good government implies two things: fidelity to the object of government, which is the happiness of the people; secondly, a knowledge of the means by which that object can be best attained.