Flickr Photos
Tag Archives: John Adams
First Principles: A Republic Is Defined As Ruled By Laws Not Men
“They define a republic to be a government of laws, and not of men.” – John Adams, Novanglus No. 7, 1775
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Definition, First Principles, Government, John Adams, Men, Novanglius Essays, Republic, Rule of Law
Leave a comment
First Principles: Executive Nominees Are Subject To Congressional Approval To Weed Out the Bad Seed
“If the president alone was vested with the power of appointing all officers, and was left to select a council for himself, he would be liable to be deceived by flatterers and pretenders to patriotism.” – Roger Sherman, to John … Continue reading
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Appointees, Cabinet, Congress, False Patriotism, First Principles, John Adams, President, Roger Sherman, Secretaries
Leave a comment
First Principles: No Government Can Restrain Humanity Set Free By Morality and Religion
“We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion.” – John Adams (1798) .. But GQ thinks you should read smutty fiction instead…
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Contention, First Principles, Government, Human Passion, John Adams, Morality, Power, Religion, Republican, The Bible, Unbridled
Leave a comment
First Principles: Human Government Is As Good As It Is Godly And Moral
“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, draft of a Newspaper Communication, 1770
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Divine, First Principles, Human Government, John Adams, Model, Moral, Perfected
Leave a comment
First Principles: All Slavery Should Be Held In Abhorrence
“Every measure of prudence, therefore, ought to be assumed for the eventual total extirpation of slavery from the United States. … I have, throughout my whole life, held the practice of slavery in … abhorrence.” – John Adams (1819) The … Continue reading
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Abhorrent, Existing Slavery, Extirpation, First Principles, George Washington, John Adams, Prudence, Slavery, United States
Leave a comment
First Principles: An Objective Standard of Right and Wrong Morality Is Best Applied To the Affairs of Mankind
“If the people are capable of understanding, seeing and feeling the differences between true and false, right and wrong, virtue and vice, to what better principle can the friends of mankind apply than to the sense of this difference?” – … Continue reading
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Application, Comprehension, Constitution, First Principles, Government, John Adams, Mankind, Morality, Objective, Understanding
Leave a comment
First Principles: Power Directed Only By Human Wisdom and Benevolence Is Dangerous
“Power in any form … when directed only by human wisdom and benevolence is dangerous.” –John Adams, An Attempt to Land a Bishop in America, 1769 Someone once asked me here if I felt the Founding Fathers did not believe … Continue reading
First Principles: Democracy Degenerates Into Anarchy Without Subordination to Morality
“Democracy will soon degenerate into an anarchy, such an anarchy that every man will do what is right in his own eyes and no man’s life or property or reputation or liberty will be secure, and every one of these … Continue reading
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Anarchy, Degenerates, Democracy, First Principles, John Adams, Liberty, Life, Morality, Property, Reputation, Security, Subordination, Virtue
Leave a comment
First Principles: Our Constitution Was Meant For A Moral People
“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” – John Adams (1798) Times like these require and deserve a reminder of this. The truth. Plain and simple, … Continue reading
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Adequacy, Consequences, Constitution, Government, Inadequacy, John Adams, Moral, People, Religious, We The People
Leave a comment
First Principles: Education and Free Discussion Cures Ignorance and Bigotry
“Bigotry is the disease of ignorance, of morbid minds; enthusiasm of the free and buoyant. Education and free discussion are the antidotes of both.” – Thomas Jefferson, letter to John Adams, 1816
Posted in First Principles
Tagged Antidote, Bigotry, Education, First Principles, Free Discussion, Ignorance, John Adams, Morbid Minds, Thomas Jefferson
Leave a comment
