The quote database

No terms except an unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted. I propose to move immediately upon your works.

Desire is a manifestation of power.

Marshall's statement cannot be read to mean in any sense that a President is above the law

Our most dangerous tendency is to expect too much of government, and at the same time do for it too little.

The power of one person — Washington, Lincoln, King, Mandela and even a young girl from Pakistan, Malala — one person can change the world by giving people hope.

Never with my consent shall an officer of the people, compensated for his services out of their pockets, become the pliant instrument of Executive will.

This danger is greatly heightened, as it has been always observable that men are less jealous of encroachments of one department upon another than upon their own reserved rights.

Limited as are the powers which have been granted, still enough have been granted to constitute a despotism if concentrated in one of the departments.

When this corrupting passion once takes possession of the human mind, like the love of gold it becomes insatiable.

It is in periods like this that it behooves the people to be most watchful of those to whom they have intrusted power.

If parties in a republic are necessary to secure a degree of vigilance sufficient to keep the public functionaries within the bounds of law and duty, at that point their usefulness ends.

The public officials charged with executing the law might do injustice in heated controversy through unconscious pride of opinion and obstinacy of conclusion.

The calculated killing of a human being by the State involves, by its very nature, a denial of the executed person's humanity.

Show me the government which can be maintained only by destroying the rights of a portion of the people; and you will indicate the duty of openly revolting against it.

Slavery cannot bear one ray of light, or the slightest criticism.

We want no wars of conquest; we must avoid the temptation of territorial aggression.

All other work but this is worthless; it is slaves’ work—mere toiling to live, that we may live to toil.

Otherwise, free speech which is the strength of the Nation will be the cause of its destruction.

The quality of advocacy turns on the depth of the conviction; and government has no power to invade that sanctuary of belief and conscience.

The great Government we loved has too often been made use of for private and selfish purposes, and those who used it had forgotten the people.

was it not obvious that flocks and herds were more ready to obey their keepers than men their rulers

Only it seems to me a grievous error in a ruler to quarrel with all his subjects at once.

I view it as an extreme measure, to be resorted to only in extraordinary cases, as where it may become necessary to defend the executive against the encroachments of the legislative power or to prevent hasty and inconsiderate or unconstitutional legislation.

The Executive has authority to recommend (not to dictate) measures to Congress.

As indispensable to the preservation of our system of self-government, the independence of the representatives of the States and the people is guaranteed by the Constitution, and they owe no responsibility to any human power but their constituents.