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Slavery is a foul contagion in the human character.

John Adams

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John Adams
Age: 90 †
Born: 1735
Born: October 19
Died: 1826
Died: July 4
2Nd U.S. President
Diplomat
Lawyer
Political Philosopher
Politician
Statesperson
Braintree
Massachusetts
President Adams
J. Adams
President John Adams
Foul
Slavery
Character
Human
Humans
Contagion

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The foundations of national morality must be laid in private families.
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I desire no other inscription over my gravestone than: 'Here lies John Adams, who took upon himself the responsibility of peace with France in the year 1800'.
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Power must never be trusted without a check.
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Ambition is one of the ungovernable passions of the human heart. The love of power is insatiable and uncontrollable.
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No good government but what is republican... the very definition of a republic is 'an empire of laws, and not of men.'
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Let us dare to read, think, speak and write.
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When people talk of the freedom of writing, speaking or thinking I cannot choose but laugh. No such thing ever existed. No such thing now exists but I hope it will exist. But it must be hundreds of years after you and I shall write and speak no more.
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The die is cast. The people have passed the river and cut away the bridge. Last night three cargoes of tea were emptied into the harbor. This is the grandest event which has ever yet happened since the controversy with Britain opened.
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But a Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever.
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If we take a survey of the greatest actions...in the world...we shall find the authors of them all to have been persons whose Brains had been shaken out of their natural position.
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Mystery is made a convenient Cover for absurdity.
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There is not an enemy so stout, as to storm and take the fortress of the mind, Unless its infirmity turn traitor, and Fear unbar the gates.
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Let justice be done though the heavens should fall.
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We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge or gallantry would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution is designed only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for any other.
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I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy.
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The fundamental article of my political creed is that despotism, or limited sovereignty, or absolute power is the same [whether] in a majority of a popular assembly an aristocratic council or oligarchical junto and a single emperor - equally arbitrary, cruel, bloody and in every respect diabolical.
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Virtue is not always amiable.
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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.
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If we do not lay out ourselves in the service of mankind whom should we serve?
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There are two ways to conquer and enslave a country. One is by the sword. The other is by debt.
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