Category Archives: First Principles

First Principles: Honest Friendship With All, Entanglements With None

Posted on July 13, 2017 by alohapromisesforever

“Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations…entangling alliances with none” – Thomas Jefferson Jefferson’s First Inaugural Address can be read in its entirety here: http://www.bartleby.com/124/pres16.html

Posted in First Principles | Tagged Alliances, Commerce, Entangle, First Inaugural Address, First Principles, Foreign Policy, Friendship, Honest, Peace, Thomas Jefferson | Leave a comment

First Principles: Man Is Ruled Either By God or By Bayonet

Posted on July 12, 2017 by alohapromisesforever

“Men, in a word, must necessarily be controlled either by a power within them or by a power without them; either by the Word of God or by the strong arm of man; either by the Bible or by the … Continue reading →

Posted in First Principles | Tagged Bayonet, Bible, First Principles, Mankind, Robert Winthrop, Self Control, Speaker of the House, Strong Armed | Leave a comment

First Principles: A Leader Inspires Others

Posted on July 11, 2017 by alohapromisesforever

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, you are a leader.” – John Quincy Adams Leadership does not depend on title. If you inspire confidence and trust in others, in effect, you … Continue reading →

Posted in First Principles | Tagged Actions, Become, Dream, Inspire, John Quincy Adams, Leader, Leadership, Learn | Leave a comment

First Principles: The Accumulation of Power Into the Hands of the Few Leads To Tyranny

Posted on July 9, 2017 by alohapromisesforever

“The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, self-appointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny. “ – James Madison, in Federalist … Continue reading →

Posted in First Principles | Tagged Accumulation, Federalist Papers, First Principles, James Madison, Power, Tyranny | Leave a comment

First Principles: Seeming Misfortunes Are Often Blessings In Disguise

Posted on July 8, 2017 by alohapromisesforever

“A few years’ experience will convince us that those things which at the time they happened we regarded as our greatest misfortunes have proved our greatest blessings.” – George Mason, Father of the Bill of Rights

Posted in First Principles | Tagged Bill of Rights, Blessings, Disguised, Experience, First Principles, Founding Father, George Mason, Misfortunes | Leave a comment

First Principles: A Person’s Home Is Their Castle

Posted on July 7, 2017 by alohapromisesforever

“One of the most essential branches of English liberty is the freedom of one’s house. A man’s house is his castle.”– James Otis, On the Writs of Assistance (1761)

Posted in First Principles | Tagged Castle, English, First Principles, Freedom, Home, James Otis, Liberty, On the Writs of Assistance | Leave a comment

First Principles: Good Morals Are the Only True Support of Good Government

Posted on July 6, 2017 by alohapromisesforever

“For avoiding the extremes of despotism or anarchy… the only ground of hope must be on the morals of the people. I believe that religion is the only solid base of morals and that morals are the only possible support … Continue reading →

Posted in First Principles | Tagged Anarchy, Despotism, Duties, Education, Exremes, First Principles, Free Government, Freedom, Morals, Religion | 3 Comments

First Principles: Acquiring Knowledge and Wisdom Is Necessary to Self-Government

Posted on July 5, 2017 by alohapromisesforever

“Nothing could be more irrational than to give the people power, and to withhold from them information without which power is abused. A people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with power which knowledge gives. A … Continue reading →

Posted in First Principles | Tagged First Principles, James Madison, Knowledge, Popular Government, Self Government, The People, Wisdom | Leave a comment

Thought For the Day: The United States Declaration of Independence

Posted on July 4, 2017 by alohapromisesforever

The Declaration of Independence declared this on behalf of the rebellious thirteen American colonies from the Kingdom of Great Britain as thirteen sovereign states that joined together as the United States of America. Most of us celebrate this on July 4, 1776. … Continue reading →

Posted in First Principles, Thought For the Day | Tagged American Revolution, Benjamin Franklin, Declaration of Independence, Gettysburg Address, John Adams, Legacy, Library of Congress, Lincoln, National Archives, Second Continental Congress, Thomas Jefferson, Trumbell | Leave a comment

First Principles: All Are Created Equal With Inalienable Rights

Posted on July 4, 2017 by alohapromisesforever

“We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” – Thomas Jefferson Time … Continue reading →

Posted in First Principles | Tagged Creator, Declaration of Independence, Endowed, Equal, First Principles, Liberty, Life, Pursuit of Happiness, Self-Evident, Truths, Unalienable | Leave a comment