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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 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

“The Constitution had provided that all the public functionaries of the Union...should be under oath or affirmation for its support. The homage of religious faith was thus superadded to all the obligations of temporal law to give it strength.”

Giving Should Law Religious Support Constitution Unions Obligation Affirmation Religious Faith Oath Homage

Author:John Quincy Adams

“From the day of the Declaration...they (the American people) were bound by the laws of God, which they all, and by the laws of The Gospel, which they nearly all, acknowledge as the rules of their conduct.”

People Law Independent Bounds Acknowledge Declaration

Author:John Quincy Adams

“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.”

Men May Wisdom Law Politics Liberty Wise Chains Virtuous Moral Virtues

Book:Letters of John Quincy Adams, to His Son, on the Bible and Its Teachings

Source: Letters of John Quincy Adams, to His Son, on the Bible and Its Teachings

“The law given from Sinai was a civil and municipal as well as a moral and religious code; it contained many statutes . . . of universal application-laws essential to the existence of men in society, and most of which have been enacted by every nation which ever professed any code of laws.”

Men Wells Has Beens Government Law Religion Given Nations Religious Existence Moral Morality Essentials Universal Code Application Statutes Sinai

Book:Letters of John Quincy Adams, to His Son, on the Bible and Its Teachings

Source: Letters of John Quincy Adams, to His Son, on the Bible and Its Teachings

“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

“The Law given from Sinai was a civil and municipal as well as a moral and religious code.”

Wells Law Given Religious Moral Ten Code Commandments Ten Commandments Sinai

Author:John Quincy Adams

“I told him that I thought it was law logic - an artificial system of reasoning, exclusively used in Courts of justice, but good for nothing anywhere else.”

Law Used Justice Logic Court Prison Reasoning Artificial

Author:John Quincy Adams