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John Quincy Adams Quotes

6th U.S. President

John Quincy Adams was the 6th President of the United States, born on July 11, 1767, and died on February 28, 1848. He was a prominent statesman, diplomat, and scholar, known for his extensive knowledge and political experience.

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Famous John Quincy Adams Quotes

“The great problem of legislation is, so to organize the civil government of a community... that in the operation of human institutions upon social action, self-love and social may be made the same.”

Humans May Made Self Problem Government Action Social Community Self Love Institutions Operations Organize Legislation Social Action

Author:John Quincy Adams

“The barbarian chieftain, who defended his country against the Roman invasion, driven to the remotest extremity of Britain, and stimulating his followers to battle, by all that has power of persuasion upon the human heart, concludes his exhortation by an appeal to these irresistible feelings - "Think of your forefathers and of your posterity."”

“Is it not that, in the chain of human events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Saviour?”

Humans Nations Events Chains Linked Saviour Our Founding Fathers Founding Fathers Christian Us Founding Fathers Founding Fathers Religion Christian Patriotic

Book:An Oration Delivered Before the Inhabitants of the Town of Newburyport, at Their Request, on the Sixty-first Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, July 4th, 1837

Source: An Oration Delivered Before the Inhabitants of the Town of Newburyport, at Their Request, on the Sixty-first Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, July 4th, 1837

“The law is an artificial human construct, quite arbitrary, and of absolutely no use anywhere else but in a court of law!”

Humans Use Law Court Artificial Constructs Arbitrary

Author:John Quincy Adams

“Our political way of life is by the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God, and of course presupposes the existence of God, the moral ruler of the universe, and a rule of right and wrong, of just and unjust, binding upon man, preceding all institutions of human society and government.”

Men Way Humans Government Law Political Life Is Universe Courses Existence Moral Institutions Rulers Unjust Laws Of Nature Human Society Binding Existence Of God

Author:John Quincy Adams

“Find a mission that you can give yourself over to and then spend your days moving that mission forward. Man is made so that when anything fires his soul the impossibilities vanish. The influence of each human being on others in this life is a kind of immortality.”

Men Giving Humans Kind Made Soul Moving Life Is Human Beings Fire Influence Missions This Life Immortality Impossibility

Author:John Quincy Adams

“The influence of each human being on others in this life is a kind of immortality.”

Life Humans Kind Life Is Friendship Human Beings Relationship Influence Positive This Life Immortality Life And Love

Author:John Quincy Adams

“We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Our constitution was made for a moral and religious people... it is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

“Why is it that, next to the birthday of the Savior of the world, your most joyous and most venerated festival returns on this day (the 4th of July)? Is it not that, in the chain of human events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior?.”

World Humans Next Nations Events Return Chains This Day Savior Linked Festivals 4th Of July July Joyous Our Founding Fathers Us Founding Fathers Christian Patriotic

Author:John Quincy Adams

“Civil liberty can be established on no foundation of human reason which will not at the same time demonstrate the right of religious freedom.”

Humans Reason Religious Liberty Foundation Civil Rights Civil Liberties Religious Freedom Human Reason

Book:Writings of John Quincey Adams

Source: Writings of John Quincey Adams

“The experience of all former ages had shown that of all human governments, democracy was the most unstable, fluctuating and short-lived.”

Humans Government Age Democracy Former Unstable Short Lived Founding Fathers Democracy

Book:The Jubilee of the Constitution: A Discourse Delivered at the Request of the New York Historical Society, in the City of New York, on Tuesday, the 30th of April, 1839; Being the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Inauguration of George Washington as President of the United States, on Thursday, the 30th of April, 1789 ...

Source: The Jubilee of the Constitution: A Discourse Delivered at the Request of the New York Historical Society, in the City of New York, on Tuesday, the 30th of April, 1839; Being the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Inauguration of George Washington as President of the United States, on Thursday, the 30th of April, 1789 ...

“There are three points of doctrine the belief of which forms the foundation of all morality. The first is the existence of God; the second is the immortality of the human soul; and the third is a future state of rewards and punishments. Suppose it possible for a man to disbelieve either of these three articles of faith and that man will have no conscience, he will have no other law than that of the tiger or the shark. The laws of man may bind him in chains or may put him to death, but they never can make him wise, virtuous, or happy.”

Source: Letters of Mrs. Adams: the wife of John Adams

“In charity to all mankind, bearing no malice or ill will to any human being, and even compassionating those who hold in bondage their fellow men, not knowing what they do.”

Men Humans Human Beings Knowing Mankind Fellows Charity Ill Not Knowing Bondage Fellow Man Malice Ill Will

Author:John Quincy Adams

“I speak as a man of the world to men of the world; and I say to you, Search the Scriptures! The Bible is the book of all others, to be read at all ages, and in all conditions of human life; not to be read once or twice or thrice through, and then laid aside, but to be read in small portions of one or two chapters every day, and never to be intermitted, unless by some overruling necessity.”

Men World Life Humans Two Book Age Speak Conditions Scripture Human Life Portions Chapters Thrice

Author:John Quincy Adams

“Is it not that in the chain of human events, the birthday of a nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior? That it forms a leading event in the progress of the Gospel dispensation? Is it not that the Declaration of Independence first organized the social compact on the foundation of the Redeemer’s mission upon earth? That it laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity?”

“America, with the same voice which spoke herself into existence as a nation, proclaimed to mankind the inextinguishable rights of human nature, and the only lawful foundations of government.”

Humans Government America Nations Voice Existence Rights Mankind Human Nature Foundation Presidential Spokes

Book:An Address, Delivered at the Request of the Committee of Arrangements for Celebrating the Anniversary of Independence: At the City of Washington on the Fourth of July 1821, Upon the Occasion of Reading the Declaration of Independence. ...

Source: An Address, Delivered at the Request of the Committee of Arrangements for Celebrating the Anniversary of Independence: At the City of Washington on the Fourth of July 1821, Upon the Occasion of Reading the Declaration of Independence. ...

“Among the sentiments of most powerful operation upon the human heart, and most highly honorable to the human character, are those of veneration for our forefathers and of love for our posterity.”

Humans Heart Character Powerful Operations Most Powerful Sentiments Honorable Human Heart Posterity Forefathers Veneration

Author:John Quincy Adams

“Of the two great political parties which have divided the opinions and feelings of our country, the candid and the just will now admit that both have contributed splendid talents, spotless integrity, ardent patriotism, and disinterested sacrifices to the formation and administration of this Government, and that both have required a liberal indulgence for a portion of human infirmity and error.”

Source: John Quincy Adams, 1767-1848; chronology, documents, bibliographical aids

“Human life, from the cradle to the grave, is a school. At every period of his existence man wants a teacher. His pilgrimage upon earth is but a term of childhood, in which he is to be educated for the manhood of a brighter world. As the child must be educated for manhood upon earth, so the man must be educated upon earth, for heaven; and finally that where the foundation is not laid in time, the superstructure can not rise for eternity.”