Thomas Jefferson

Every honest man will suppose honest acts to flow from honest principles, and the rogues may rail without intermission.

Ignorance is preferable to error, and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.

If a due participation of office is a matter of right, how are vacancies to be obtained? Those by death are few; by resignations, none. Usually quoted: 'Few die and none resign.'

When a man assumes a public trust, he should consider himself as public property.

Whenever a man has cast a longing eye on them [offices], a rottenness begins in his conduct.

When a man has cast his longing eye on offices, a rottenness begins in his conduct.

The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers.

Reason and free inquiry are the only effectual agents against error.

Shake off all the fears of servile prejudices, under which weak minds are servility crouched. Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call on her tribunal for every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear.

A little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical.