"I have so much confidence in the good sense of man, and his capacity for self-government, that I am never afraid of the issue where reason is left free to exert her force."

"The way to have good and safe government, is not to trust it all to one, but to divide it among the many, distributing to every one exactly the functions he is competent to."

"The most effectual means of preventing the perversion of power into tyranny, are to diffuse it generally among the people, and to give to all, in proportion to their interest in it, a proportionate sh…"

"The only security against error is the freedom of inquiry."

"The principle of spending money to be paid by posterity, under the name of funding, is but swindling futurity on a large scale."