george-washington Quotes About people

Source: Maxims of Washington: Political, Social, Moral, and Religious

“A free people ought not only to be armed, but disciplined; to which end a uniform and well-digested plan is requisite.”

Source: Maxims of Washington: Political, Social, Moral, and Religious

“A people contending for life and liberty are seldom disposed to look with a favorable eye upon either men or measures whose passions, interests or consequences will clash with those inestimable objects.”

People Men Looks Eye Passion Interest Liberty Objects Revolution Consequence Clash Contending

Book:The writings of George Washington from the original manuscript sources, 1745-1799: prepared under the direction of the United States George Washington bicentennial commission and published by authority of Congress

Source: The writings of George Washington from the original manuscript sources, 1745-1799: prepared under the direction of the United States George Washington bicentennial commission and published by authority of Congress

“The wishes of the people, seldom founded in deep disquisitions, or resulting from other reasonings than their present feelings, may not entirely accord with our true policy and interest. If they do not, to observe a proper line of conduct for promoting the one, and avoiding offence to the other, will be a work of great difficulty.”

People Ifs May Feelings Wish Interest Lines Policy Difficulty Reasoning Avoiding Promoting Accord Offence

Book:The Life of General Washington: First President of the United States

Source: The Life of General Washington: First President of the United States

“If the minority, and a small one too, is suffered to dictate to the majority, after measures have undergone the most solemn discussions by the representatives of the people, and their will through this medium is enacted into a law, there can be no security for life, liberty, or property; nor, if the laws are not to govern, can any man know how to conduct himself in safety.”

People Ifs Knows Men Law Liberty Know How Security Safety Majority Property Mediums Discussion Minorities Representatives Solemn

Book:The Writings of George Washington: pt. IV. Letters official and private, from the beginning of his presidency to the end of his life: (v. 10) May, 1789-November, 1794. (v. 11) November, 1794-December, 1799

Source: The Writings of George Washington: pt. IV. Letters official and private, from the beginning of his presidency to the end of his life: (v. 10) May, 1789-November, 1794. (v. 11) November, 1794-December, 1799

“It is among the evils, and perhaps not the smallest, of democratical governments, that the people must feel before they will see. When this happens they are roused to action. Hence it is that those kinds of government are so slow.”

People Feels Kind Government Happens Action Evil Smallest

Book:Maxims of Washington: Political, Social, Moral, and Religious

Source: Maxims of Washington: Political, Social, Moral, and Religious

“It will be worthy of a free, enlightened, and, at no distant period, a great nation, to give to mankind the magnanimous and too novel example of a people always guided by an exalted justice and benevolence.”

People Giving States Nations Justice Novel Mankind Example Periods Worthy Enlightened Benevolence Exalted Great Nations Farewell Address Magnanimous

Book:Washington's Farewell Address to the People of the United States of America

Source: Washington's Farewell Address to the People of the United States of America

“Let no one go hungry away. If any of the kind of people should be in want of corn, supply their necessities, provided it does not encourage them in idleness.”

People Ifs Want Should Kind Doe Hungry Idleness Corn

Book:The writings of George Washington from the original manuscript sources, 1745-1799

Source: The writings of George Washington from the original manuscript sources, 1745-1799

“WHEREAS it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint Committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLICK THANKSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness."”

“To the security of a free Constitution it [knowledge] contributes in various ways: by teaching the people themselves to know and to value their own rights, to discern and provide against invasions of them, to distinguish between oppression and the necessary exercise of lawful authority, between burdens proceeding from a disregard to their convenience and those resulting from the inevitable exigencies of society.”

People Knows Way Values Rights Teaching Security Exercise Authority Constitution Various Burden Oppression Inevitable Invasion Convenience Disregard Proceeding

Author:George Washington

“It is now no more that toleration is spoken of, as if it was by the indulgence of one class of people that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights.”

Source: The writings of George Washington from the original manuscript sources, 1745-1799

“The common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it.”

People Spirit Interest Party Common Wise Duty Sufficient Political Parties Discouraging Mischief Wise People Farewell Address

Book:Washington's Farewell Address to the People of the United States

Source: Washington's Farewell Address to the People of the United States

“It is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God,. to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits , and humbly to implore his protection and favor... beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed”

“You will permit me to say, that a greater drama is now acting on this theatre than has heretofore been brought on the American tage, or any other in the world. We exhibit at present the novel and astonishing spectacle of a whole people deliberating calmly on what form of government will be most conducive to their happiness; and deciding with an unexpected degree of unanimity in favour of a system which they conceive calculated to answer the purpose.”

People World Whole Government Form Purpose Answers Acting Novel Greater Drama Degrees Theatre Unexpected Permit Favour Astonishing Exhibits Forms Of Government Unanimity

Author:George Washington

“A people unused to restraint must be led, they will not be drove.”

People Restraint

Book:The writings of George Washington from the original manuscript sources, 1745-1799

Source: The writings of George Washington from the original manuscript sources, 1745-1799

“The basis of our political system is the right of the people to make and to alter their constitutions of government.”

People Inspiration Government Political Bases Constitution Rebellion Patriotic Founders 4th Of July Political Systems Farewell Address

Author:George Washington

“99% of failures come from people who make excuses.”

People Inspirational Excuse Us President Inspirational Presidential

Author:George Washington

“No people can be bound to acknowledge the invisible hand which conducts the affairs of men more than the people of the united States. Every step by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency”

Source: Washington's Political Legacies: With a Biographical Outline of His Life and Character

“The reflection upon my situation and that of this army produces many an uneasy hour when all around me are wrapped in sleep. Few people know the predicament we are in.”

People Knows Hours Sleep Situation Produce Reflection Army Uneasy Predicaments

Book:The writings of George Washington from the original manuscript sources, 1745-1799

Source: The writings of George Washington from the original manuscript sources, 1745-1799

“It is now no more that toleration is spoken of, as if it was by the indulgence of one class of people, that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights. For happily the government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction - to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens.”

Source: The writings of George Washington from the original manuscript sources, 1745-1799

“However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.”

Source: Maxims of George Washington: Political, Military, Social, Moral, and Religious

“A free people ought not only to be armed, but disciplined; to which end a uniform and well-digested plan is requisite; and their safety and interest require that they should promote such manufactories as tend to render them independent of others for essential, particularly military, supplies.”

Source: The Writings of George Washington: Being His Correspondence, Addresses, Messages, and Other Papers, Official and Private, Selected and Published from the Original Manuscripts; with a Life of the Author, Notes and Illustrations

“One of the difficulties in bringing about change in an organization is that you must do so through the persons who have been most successful in that organization, no matter how faulty the system or the organization is. To such persons, you see, it is the best of all possible organizations, because look who was selected by it ad look who succeeded most in it. Yet, these are the very people through whom we must bring about improvements.”

People Inspirational Looks Persons Has Beens Matter Motivational Successful Organization Difficulty Improvement Ads Selected

Author:George Washington

“Excessive partiality for one foreign nation and excessive dislike of another cause those whom they actuate to see danger only on one side, and serve to veil and even second the arts of influence on the other. Real patriots who may resist the intrigues of the favorite are liable to become suspected and odious, while its tools and dupes usurp the applause and confidence of the people, to surrender their interests.”

Source: Maxims of Washington: Political, Social, Moral and Religious

“The preservation of the sacred fire of liberty, and the destiny of the Republican model of Government, are justly considered as deeply, perhaps as finally staked, on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American people.”

“The policy or advantage of [immigration] taking place in a body (I mean the settling of them in a body) may be much questioned; for, by so doing, they retain the language, habits, and principles (good or bad) which they bring with them. Whereas by an intermixture with our people, they, or their descendants, get assimilated to our customs, measures, and laws: in a word, soon become one people.”

People May Mean Body Law Language Principles Policy Habit Advantage Immigration Settling Customs Descendants

Author:George Washington

“The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the Veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation.”

“The liberty enjoyed by the people of these states of worshiping Almighty God agreebly to their conscience, is not only among the choicest of their blessings, but also of their rights.”

People States Religious Liberty Rights Blessing Conscience Enjoyed Almighty Almighty God

Book:The Writings of George Washington: pt. V. Speeches and messages to Congress, proclamations, and addresses

Source: The Writings of George Washington: pt. V. Speeches and messages to Congress, proclamations, and addresses

“Human rights can only be assured among a virtuous people. The general government . . . can never be in danger of degenerating into a monarchy, an oligarchy, an aristocracy, or any despotic or oppresive form so long as there is any virtue in the body of the people.”

People Humans Long Body Government Form Liberty Virtue Rights Danger Human Rights Virtuous Assured Monarchy Aristocracy Oligarchy

Author:George Washington

“Your late purchase of an estate in the colony of Cayenne, with a view to emancipating the slaves on it, is a generous and noble proof of your humanity. Would to God a like spirit would diffuse itself generally into the minds of the people of this country; but I despair of seeing it.”

People Mind Country Spirit Humanity Views Seeing Despair Late Slavery Slave Noble Proof Generous Estates Colony

Book:Writings: Being His Correspondence, Addresses, Messages, and Other Papers, Official and Private, Selected and Published from the Original Manuscripts

Source: Writings: Being His Correspondence, Addresses, Messages, and Other Papers, Official and Private, Selected and Published from the Original Manuscripts

“The scheme, my dear Marqs. which you propose as a precedent, to encourage the emancipation of the black people of this Country from that state of Bondage in wch. they are held, is a striking evidence of the benevolence of your Heart. I shall be happy to join you in so laudable a work.”

People Heart Country States Black Evidence Slavery Dear Black People Schemes Bondage Propose Benevolence Emancipation Precedent

Book:Affectionately Yours, George Washington: A Self-portrait in Letters of Friendship

Source: Affectionately Yours, George Washington: A Self-portrait in Letters of Friendship

“The best means of forming a manly, virtuous, and happy people will be found in the right education of youth. Without this foundation, every other means, in my opinion, must fail.”

People Mean Found Education Opinion Failing Youth Foundation Virtuous Manly Happy People Public Education

Book:The Quotable George Washington: The Wisdom of an American Patriot

Source: The Quotable George Washington: The Wisdom of an American Patriot

“If, in the opinion of the people, the distribution or modification of the constitutional powers be in any particular wrong, let it be corrected by an amendment in the way which the Constitution designates. But let there be no change by usurpation; for though this, in one instance, may be the instrument of good, it is the customary weapon by which free governments are destroyed.”