Virtue is not always amiable. — John Adams

Modesty is a virtue that can never thrive in public. — John Adams

The happiness of man, as well as his dignity, consists in virtue. — John Adams

Let frugality and industry be our virtues. — John Adams

Public virtue cannot exist in a nation without private, and public virtue is the only foundation of republics. — John Adams

Popularity, next to virtue and wisdom, ought to be aimed at; for it is the dictate of wisdom, and is necessary to the practice of virtue inmost. — John Adams

All sober inquirers after truth, ancient and modern, pagan and Christian, have declared that the happiness of man, as well as his dignity, consists in virtue. — John Adams

Power in any Form . . . when directed only by human Wisdom and Benevolence is dangerous. — John Adams

Ambition is one of the ungovernable passions of the human heart. The love of power is insatiable and uncontrollable. — John Adams

Power must never be trusted without a check. — John Adams

You are apprehensive of monarchy; I, of aristocracy. I would therefore have given more power to the President and less to the Senate. — John Adams

Where annual elections end, there slavery begins … Humility, patience, and moderation, without which every man in power becomes a ravenous beast of prey. — John Adams

If national pride is ever justifiable or excusable it is when it springs, not from power or riches, grandeur or glory, but from conviction of national innocence, information and benevolence. — John Adams

When economic power became concentrated in a few hands, then political power flowed to those possessors and away from the citizens, ultimately resulting in an oligarchy or tyranny. — John Adams

We electors have an important constitutional power placed in our hands; we have a check upon two branches of the legislature. — John Adams

Because power corrupts, society’s demands for moral authority and character increase as the importance of the position increases. — John Adams

It is weakness rather than wickedness which renders men unfit to be trusted with unlimited power. — John Adams

The balance of power in a society accompanies the balance of property in land. — John Adams

There is danger from all men. The only maxim of a free government ought to be to trust no man living with power to endanger the public liberty. — John Adams

Liberty, according to my metaphysics is a self–determining power in an intellectual agent. It implies thought and choice and power. — John Adams

The way to secure liberty is to place it in the people’s hands, that is, to give them the power at all times to defend it in the legislature and in the courts of justice. — John Adams

The jaws of power are always open to devour, and her arm is always stretched out, if possible, to destroy the freedom of thinking, speaking, and writing. — John Adams

Power always thinks it has a great soul and vast views beyond the comprehension of the weak. — John Adams

Admire and adore the Author of the telescopic universe, love and esteem the work, do all in your power to lessen ill, and increase good, but never assume to comprehend. — John Adams

Power always sincerely, conscientiously, de très bon foi, believes itself right. Power always thinks it has a great soul and vast views, beyond the comprehension of the weak. — John Adams

The United States is not a Christian nation any more than it is a Jewish or a Mohammedan nation. — John Adams

Politics are the divine science, after all. — John Adams

I shall have the liberty to think for myself. — John Adams

I shall have liberty to think for myself without molesting others or being molested myself. — John Adams

Liberty, once lost, is lost forever. — John Adams

Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people. — John Adams

Property is surely a right of mankind as real as liberty. — John Adams

Those who trade liberty for security have neither. — John Adams

And liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people who have a right from the frame of their nature to knowledge… — John Adams

Have you ever found in history, one single example of a nation, thoroughly corrupted, that was afterwards restored to virtue? And without virtue there can be no political liberty. — John Adams

Property must be secured, or liberty cannot exist. — John Adams

I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. — John Adams

That the said Constitution shall never be construed to authorize Congress to infringe the just liberty of the press or the rights of conscience. — John Adams

The numbers of men in all ages have preferred ease, slumber, and good cheer to liberty, when they have been in competition. — John Adams

We must not then depend alone upon the love of liberty in the soul of man for its preservation. — John Adams

But a Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever. — John Adams

One useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, and three is a Congress. — John Adams

I was very strenuous for retaining and insisting on it [law of nature], as a resource to which we might be driven by Parliament much sooner than we were aware. — John Adams

A government of laws, and not of men. — John Adams

No good government but what is republican… the very definition of a republic is ‘an empire of laws, and not of men.’ — John Adams

I would define liberty to be a power to do as we would be done by. The definition of liberty to be the power of doing whatever the law permits, meaning the civil laws, does not seem satisfactory. — John Adams

The government of the United States of America has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Muslims. — John Adams

In my many years i have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, and three or more is a congress. — John Adams

It would be an absurdity for jurors to be required to accept the judge’s view of the law, against their own opinion, judgment, and conscience. — John Adams

The fundamental law of the militia is, that it be created, directed and commanded by the laws, and ever for the support of the laws. — John Adams

You have Rights] antecedent to all earthly governments: Rights, that cannot be repealed or restrained by human laws; Rights, derived from the Great Legislator of the universe. — John Adams

Power always thinks… that it is doing God’s service when it is violating all his laws. — John Adams

The study and practice of law … does not dissolve the obligations of morality or of religion. — John Adams

The executive shall never exercise the legislative and judicial powers, or either of them, to the end that it may be a government of laws and not of men. — John Adams

The rights of Englishmen are derived from God, not from king or Parliament, and would be secured by the study of history, law, and tradition. — John Adams

The question before the human race is, whether the God of nature shall govern the world by his own laws, or whether priests and kings shall rule it by fictitious miracles? — John Adams

The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the law of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence. — John Adams

Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence: nor is the law less stable than the fact. — John Adams

Laws for the liberal education of youth, especially of the lower class of people, are so extremely wise and useful, that, to a humane and generous mind, no expense for this purpose would be thought extravagant. — John Adams

Each individual of the society has a right to be protected by it in the enjoyment of his life, liberty, and property, according to standing laws. — John Adams

Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. — John Adams

The happiness of society is the end of government. — John Adams

The divine science of government is the science of social happiness, and the blessings of society depend entirely on the constitutions of government. — John Adams

It already appears, that there must be in every society of men superiors and inferiors, because God has laid in the constitution and course of nature the foundations of the distinction. — John Adams

Government is nothing more than the combined force of society, or the united power of the multitude, for the peace, order, safety, good and happiness of the people. — John Adams

The real fabric of American society is not all those flags you see on people’s cars…it’s in the Bill of Rights and in our constitutional form of government. — John Adams

Abuse of words has been the great instrument of sophistry and chicanery, of party, faction, and division of society. — John Adams

The Declaration of Independence laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity. — John Adams

Slavery is a foul contagion in the human character. — John Adams

Human government is more or less perfect as it approaches nearer or diverges farther from the imitation of this perfect plan of divine and moral government. — John Adams

Let the human mind loose. It must be loose. It will be loose. Superstition and dogmatism cannot confine it. — John Adams

It is an observation of one of the profoundest inquirers into human affairs that a revolution of government is the strongest proof that can be given by a people of their virtue and good sense. — John Adams

The Christian Religion as I understand it is the best. — John Adams

Nothing is more dreaded than the national government meddling with religion. — John Adams

This would be the best of all possible worlds, if there were no religion in it. — John Adams

Let them revere nothing but religion, morality and liberty. — John Adams

The appearance of religion only on Sunday proves that it is only an appearance. — John Adams

The government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion. — John Adams

The Christian religion is, above all the religions that ever prevailed or existed in ancient or modern times, the religion of wisdom, virtue, equity and humanity. — John Adams

The ten commandments and the sermon on the mount contain my religion. — John Adams

Without religion this world would be something not fit to be mentioned in polite company, I mean Hell. — John Adams

But how has it happened that millions of fables, tales, legends have been blended with both Jewish and Christian revelation that have made them the most bloody religion that ever existed? — John Adams

Statesmen may plan and speculate for liberty but it is religion and morality alone that can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand. — John Adams

This is my religion … joy and exaltation in my own existence … so go ahead and snarl … bite … howl, you Calvinistic divines and all you who say I am no Christian. I say you are not Christian. — John Adams

Banks have done more injury to the religion, morality, tranquility, prosperity, and even wealth of the nation than they can have done or ever will do good. — John Adams

I have examined all religions, and the result is that the Bible is the best book in the world. — John Adams

If the empire of superstition and hypocrisy should be overthrown, happy indeed will it be for the world; but if all religion and morality should be over–thrown with it, what advantage will be gained? — John Adams

Can a free government possibly exist with the Roman Catholic religion? — John Adams

No man is entirely free from weakness and imperfection in this life. — John Adams

If ‘Thou shalt not covet,’ and ‘Thou shalt not steal,’ were not commandments of Heaven, they must be made inviolable precepts in every society, before it can be civilized or made free. — John Adams

Religion and virtue are the only foundations, not of republicanism and of all free government, but of social felicity under all government and in all the combinations of human society. — John Adams

The essence of a free government consists in an effectual control of rivalries. — John Adams

There’s no such thing as a free lunch, unless you have a coupon for a free lunch…or someone gives you a lunch…never mind. — John Adams

I]t is religion and morality alone which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free constitution is pure virtue. — John Adams

Public affairs go on pretty much as usual: perpetual chicanery and rather more personal abuse than there used to be. — John Adams

I consider a decent respect for Christianity among the best recommendations for public service. — John Adams

If the way to do good to my country were to render myself popular, I could easily do it. But extravagant popularity is not the road to public advantage. — John Adams

Public business, my son, must always be done by somebody. It will be done by somebody or other. If wise men decline it, others will not; if honest men refuse it, others will not. — John Adams